Recent Feature Headlines

January 2019

Global Military Infrared Market Hits Record Growth in 2018PREMIUM

Global military infrared imaging systems grew 9% in 2018, mainly driven by advances in the U.S., where there was an increase in the defense budget along with pent-up demand for upgrading existing infrared systems. This, along with the development of advanced new infrared detector technologies is expected to drive the military infrared imaging market to $14 billion by 2023.

IVAS Awards for Infrared Sensor DevelopmentPREMIUM

Awards for the sensor development portion of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program have been made by the Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD).

Single Photon SWIR LiDAR for Autonomous VehiclesPREMIUM

Argo AI which acquired Princeton Lightwave, has developed a LiDAR system based on InGaAsP Geiger mode Avalanche Photodiodes (GmAPDs) for autonomous vehicles. The GmAPDs, which operate in the SWIR (1.55 µm) spectrum and have single photon sensitivity, have a number of advantages over most LiDARs used in self driving cars which make use of near infrared (900 nm) GaAs lasers and silicon-based detectors. The most important of these advantages is the eye-safe wavelength of SWIR operation.

December 2018

Microsoft Wins Big with IVAS Prime Contractor AwardPREMIUM

Microsoft (Redmond, Washington) has been awarded $479.2 million as prime contractor for the Army’s Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) a fast track program to bring head mounted integrated sensors combined with augmented reality to dismounted soldiers.

Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) Sensors to be AwardedPREMIUM

A wide variety of infrared sensors are being included in NGCV

Emerging Technologies – New ControlsPREMIUM

By Steve Tribble, Lakewood Technologies

 

New Export Controls on Emerging Technologies

Ultra Low-Cost Firefighting Thermal Imager Making Inroads in Urban Fire DepartmentsPREMIUM

Seek Thermal is making inroads in large fire department with its palm-sized firefighting camera.

JVC KENWOOD Developing Infrared Automotive Night Vision SystemPREMIUM

The Japanese company JVC KENWOOD is developing an automotive night vision system based on uncooled microbolometers. The system is expected to be used for both conventional cars and autonomous cars.

November 2018

T2SL FPAs Moving into Major Infrared ProgramsPREMIUM

L3 Space & Sensors (Mason, Ohio) is continuing to move its FPA production away from InSb and to T2SL/nBn (Type II Superlattice).

3M Scott Breaks New Ground in the Pricing of Firefighting Thermal ImagersPREMIUM

3M Scott is putting pressure on the mainstream firefighting market by introducing a thermal imaging camera (TIC) with a 320 x 240 VOx uncooled microbolometer for $2K.

Enhanced Vision Systems (EVS) are About to Bring Aircraft All the Way to TouchdownPREMIUM

The certification of EFVS to touchdown represents a milestone in the use of infrared systems for aircraft and is the first step in leading to the incorporation of EFVS in air transport (commercial airliners.)

DRS Acquires EPIR Technologies MBE BusinessPREMIUM

DRS is expected to use the MBE machines for making large format, small pixel MCT FPAs

Seek Thermal Launching New Handheld Thermal Imager for Building and Electrical InspectionPREMIUM

Seek Thermal is launching two new palm-sized thermal imagers based on the company’s 12 micron VOx microbolometers: Seek Shot (206 x 156) and Seek ShotPro (320 x 240)

Sensors Unlimited/UTAS Develops World’s Largest InGaAs FPA and CameraPREMIUM

Sensors Unlimited/UTAS (Princeton, New Jersey) has developed a 4K x 4K InGaAs FPA with 5 µm pixel pitch, the largest InGaAs FPA ever. A NIR/SWIR camera based on this FPA has also been developed for use on the Marine Corps RQ-21A Blackjack UAV.

October 2018

DRS wins LLDR award with HOT Ultra-Small Pixel MCT FPAsPREMIUM

Leonardo DRS has been awarded a $231.5 million contract, thru 2028, for LLDR 3 (Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder), a day/night manportable (tripod-mounted) modular target location and laser designator system.

SCD Launching New XBn and InGaAs Cores for SWaP ApplicationsPREMIUM

SCD has developed a new low SWaP (Size, Weight and Power) MWIR XBn core, as well as a 1280 x 1024 InGaAs core with 10 micron pixels.

FLIR Systems Completes Development of Ultra-compact InGaAs CorePREMIUM

FLIR Systems has developed the most compact, lightweight InGaAs core available

Funding of $548 Million for High-Priority Soldier System Approved by CongressPREMIUM

The reprogramming of $548 million for the U.S. Army’s HUD 3.0/IVAS program has been approved by Congress. Funds are being moved from the Defense Health Program’s operations and maintenance account to the research and development account for the development of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS), a soldier system that will make extensive use of infrared detectors and digital low-light-level detectors.

Monolithic Metalenses for T2SL FPAs Promise to Improve Sensitivity and Operating TemperaturePREMIUM

Microlens based metalenses have the potential of being monolithically integrated with infrared FPAs to increase FPA operating temperature and sensitivity.

St. Johns Optical Infrared Development Stalls After Exit of Key PeoplePREMIUM

St. Johns Optical Systems, SJOS, Sanford, Florida, has halted development on a  number of major development programs after the departure of key people, including researchers who had been carrying out PbSe FPA and infrared camera development.