An infrared imaging system which uses a staring focal plane detector array is described. The system operates in the 8 micrometer to 10 micrometer wavelength region and is required to acquire images with large scene temperature ranges. A nonlinear compensation algorithm is used to achieve a low NETD. The modeling and development of the imaging system and compensation processor required testing and characterization of the detectors comprising the array. The techniques used for the characterization of the array and some aspects of the use of the array are described.
This paper sets the scene for the session 'Infrared in Australia.' A summary of the history of IR research and development in Australia is given, mainly spanning the years 1970 to the present. The paper then outlines the main research thrusts in the IR field in Australia. These include materials work, measurement, IR propagation, modeling, scene generation, devices, image processing, and IR systems. In addition brief mention is made of sensor and data fusion.
Prediction of the performance of IR sensor systems in the detection and classification of features in an image requires estimation of the sensor signals produced by a given feature (source) and the background in the image. This process includes estimation of the effects that the detector, the scanning system (if used), and the optical system have on the performance of the system in a specified environment. The analysis of sensor performance takes into account the emission characteristics of the source and background and often assumes an extended source. For some tasks, the apparent size of a source, as well as the emission characteristics, must be taken into account in determining the scene contrast produced by the source. This requirement to account for the apparent size of a source arises as a result of the reduction in image contrast of a source of small apparent size due to optical blurring caused by the formation of the image. An analysis of the effect of apparent source size, the detector instantaneous field of view, and optical blurring on the image contrast produced by imaging IR sensor systems is presented.
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