(Princeton Infrared Technologies: Monmouth Junction, NJ) -- Princeton Infrared Technologies has been selected by AFWERX, a program office at the Air Force Research Laboratory, for a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract in the amount of $749,961 for developing extended-wavelength, short-wave infrared (SWIR) for hyperspectral imaging on unmanned systems. The work will explore Princeton’s potential to fill capability gaps in the U.S. Department of the Air Force (DAF).

Hyperspectral imaging in the SWIR wavelength range from 900–1700 nm can be used for applications such as agricultural crop health monitoring and humanitarian aid and logistics. Current hyperspectral systems are expensive due to their use of large-format arrays and complicated optical components. In this program, a micro-lens array (MLA) will be fabricated directly into the detector array substrate. This novel approach will improve alignment accuracy and structural integrity, and is conducive to wafer-scale processing techniques for large-volume production at a significantly reduced cost.

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