Design of a high-resolution passive millimeter-wavelength camera for security applications

Jonathan Drewes; Robert P. Daly

doi:10.1117/12.819364

29 April 2009 Design of a high-resolution passive millimeter-wavelength camera for security applications

Jonathan Drewes, Robert P. Daly

Proceedings Volume 7309, Passive Millimeter-Wave Imaging Technology XII; 73090B (2009) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.819364
Event: SPIE Defense, Security, and Sensing, 2009, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

We discuss the methods and design considerations required in engineering a high-resolution camera for use at 94 GHz (~3mm wavelength) to yield the best compromise between optical resolution, field of view, object distance, depth of focus, image acquisition time, and system cost. This application is one in which only the blackbody radiation emitted by the body is a light source, i.e., a passive system. Several critical design parameters were optimized in this design, including, the point spread function size upon the detector array, optical losses, and depth of focus. The metric for characterization of the optical design was the Huygen's wavelet calculation that correlated well with measured performance. Measurements of the PSF and MTF agreed with the model within measurement error. Sample imagery of hidden objects demonstrate that this prototype design is capable of resolving objects with feature sizes as small as 0.50 inch and further show the utility of this millimeter wavelength camera.

Citation Download Citation

Jonathan Drewes and Robert P. Daly "Design of a high-resolution passive millimeter-wavelength camera for security applications", Proc. SPIE 7309, Passive Millimeter-Wave Imaging Technology XII, 73090B (29 April 2009); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.819364

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