Dual-band camera system with advanced image processing capability

A dual-band IR camera system based on a dual-band QWIP focal plane array in 384x288x2 format was developed. The camera delivers exactly pixel-registered simultaneously acquired images and exhibits an excellent NETD of <30 mK at an integration time of less than 10 ms. It is equipped with Camera Link and Gigabit Ethernet data interface and is connected to and operated from a personal computer. The camera is equipped with a special dual-band, dual-field-of-view lens (14.6 degree and 2.8 degree diagonal FOV). Radiometric calibration was performed for real quantitative comparison of MWIR and LWIR radiant power. The system uses special software to extract and visualize the - often quite small - differences of MWIR and LWIR images. The software corrects and processes the images and permits to overlay them with complementary colors such that differences become apparent and can easily be perceived. As a special feature, the system has advanced software for real-time image processing of dynamic scenes. It has an image stabilization feature which compensates for the movement of the camera sensor relative to the scene observed. It also has a powerful image registration capability for automatic stitching of live images to create large mosaic images. The camera system was tested with different scenes and under different weather conditions. It delivers large-format sharp images which reveal a lot of details which would not be perceptible with a single-band IR camera. It permits to identify materials (e.g. glass, asphalt, slate, etc.), to distinguish sun reflections from hot objects and to visualize hot exhaust gases.