Compact Battery Operated Mid-wave Infrared (MWIR) Hyperspectral, High-Definition, Real-Time Video Camera Integrated with Photonic Crystal
SBIR Opportunity Analysis
The Navy, through a DoD SBIR topic, is seeking a compact battery-operated mid-wave infrared hyperspectral imaging video camera for mobile sensor platforms. The work calls for an on-chip photonic multiplexing approach using large-scale simulation, machine learning, and data-driven design to enable real-time hyperspectral video capture in the 3 to 5 micron band with sub-5 nm spectral resolution and a compact, low-power form factor. Key performance targets include threshold array size of 1280 x 1024 pixels, rapid acquisition of 500-band hyperspectral cubes, and Phase II demonstration of a real-time imager with 1.3 million pixels at 30 Hz, along with polarization-insensitive, wide-field, broadband performance. Phase I is focused on feasibility and a 100x reduction in acquisition time, while Phase II emphasizes design optimization and experimental verification. The topic is open with an application due date of June 3, 2026 at 16:00 UTC, under solicitation 26.BZ and topic number DON26BZ01-NV011.