Date: Mar 08, 2007 Source: MDA (
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Summary:
Bodkin Design and Engineering, LLC (Wellesley, MA), developed a low-cost, low-vibration, video-frame rate hyperspectral imager that can provide instantaneous chemical information over a range of molecular species.
Technology Description:
Bodkin has developed a robust dual-band, stand-off hyperspectral detector that can provide real-time video images. Capable of producing 1330 spectra per frame at a 10-nanometer resolution, the imager identifies spatial and spectral components of an image in a single frame. The imager is capable of operating in harsh environments (high-vibration, airborne, e.g.), has no moving parts, and can image moving or changing targets. Detecting in the mid-wave infrared (MWIR) and short-wave infrared (SWIR), the imager produces a "data cube," of which two dimensions are spatial and one is spectral, or wavelength, information.
MDA Origins:
Bodkin received Phase I and II SBIRs for developing remote sensors in hit-to-kill assessment scenarios, determining the energy output and constituents of missile debris and thus identifying weapon type and origin.
Spinoff Applications:
Hyperspectral imaging can be used in numerous applications, such as assessing crop health and status for determining fertilizer and irrigation schedules, industrial machine vision, fire-fighting (identifying "hot spots"), marine biology (remote measurements of chlorophyll/plankton), law enforcement, pollution detection and control, and petrochemical discovery and monitoring. There is an increasing interest in hyperspectral applications for medical imaging, in particular identification of abnormal tissue (cancer) that is one focus of a major biophotonics consortium, and the subject of a number of individual commercial/clinical efforts. The imager can also be used to visualize the retina or can be used in an endoscope.
Commercialization:
Bodkin has applied for patent protection for its hyperspectral imager. The company also advertises a miniature 3-D spectrometer, a remote-controlled Ethernet security camera, and a spotter camera with applications in process control, search and rescue, night vision, insulation inspection, and nondestructive evaluation.
Company Profile:
Bodkin was founded in 1992 and operates as an OEM provider to the military and commercial markets, offering both finished products and custom solutions in optics, optoelectronics, and mechanical engineering. One of its products, the IR Microcam infrared camera was selected by Lasers and Optronics as one of the best new products of 1998.
