Infrared Polarimetric Camera development

The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) has a requirement for an Infrared Polarimetric Camera (IRPC) system to detect surface laid and buried anti-tank land mines in support of Phase 2 of the Remote Minefield Detection System (REMIDS) Technology Demonstration Programme (TDP). Nichols is currently under contract to DERA to design and fabricate the IRPC system for integration into the REMIDS TDP. The IRPC is a full Stokes vector infrared camera system designed to operate from a static tower, a moving elevated surface platform, or a moving airborne platform and will be used to demonstrate the usefulness of passive IR polarimetry for mine and minefield detection. DERA will use the IRPC system to investigate the feasibility of using polarimetric techniques to detect buried and surface laid mines from an airborne platform when operated in conjunction with an ultra wide band synthetic aperture radar (UWB SAR). This paper describes the IRPC system, which is currently being developed for delivery to DERA in April 1999.