A Compact Mid-Wave Infrared Imager System With Real-Time Target Detection and Tracking

The mid-wave infrared imager has stronger transmission ability than the visible near-infrared imager, which can effectively overcome the limitation of the low-visibility climate on the image acquisition timeliness. Moreover, it is more conducive to the detection of long-distance small target. However, few infrared imager systems track the long-distance aerial target while detecting it in real-time. Meanwhile, conventional optical structures for long-distance imaging are cumbersome and bulky. Thus, the significant challenge to solve this problem is how to design a lightweight infrared imaging system for the detection of long-distance infrared small targets over complex scenes. In this article, the basic principle and design features of a compact mid-wave infrared imager system are detailed. The optical system has an ingenious design, compact structure, low power consumption, lightweight, and low installation cost. Simultaneously, an improved features from the accelerated segment test (IFAST) target detection algorithm is proposed, which is verified by comparative experiment, showing good robustness, and stability for infrared small target detection. Combining IFAST with two-dimensional turntable can realize the requirement of real-time object tracking and two filed imaging experiments were carried out. The results demonstrate the robustness and stability of the imager system in detecting and tracking infrared small targets, which can provide a reference for the design of compact mid-wave infrared instruments for similar applications.