Polarization-sensitive thermal imaging sensors for target discrimination

Physics Innovations Inc. has developed polarization- sensitive imaging sensors with high-spatial resolution. In this paper we describe methods where video frames are captured and processed into images of the target's temperature distribution and the target's 3D shape and orientation. We demonstrate that the two angles describing surface orientation can be determined for every point on a target. For all targets in the field of view, their geometric shapes and temperatures can be determined simultaneously. With high-speed signal processing, high- resolution polarimetric data can be captured and displayed in real time and at video frequency.