Description: The goal of this proposal is improve testing and calibration of imaging sensors used on remote sensing platforms through the development of calibrated scene projector, the Polarization Hyperspectral Image Projector (PHIP). Current calibration methods utilize spatially uniform optical radiation sources to ensure that sensors meet radiometric, polarization and spectral requirements, without the sensor being subjected to complex spatial /spectral / polarization imagery more typical of an operational scenario. As a result, instrumentation is sent into orbit without proper characterization, neglecting the very real effects of stray light, optical cross-talk and earth-shine. The proposed instrument will be capable of projecting realistic scenes to sensors under test, with accurate and high-resolution spectral/spatial /polarization tunability at each pixel.

Benefits: The outcome of Phase II development will be a Polarization Hyperspectral Imaging Projector. Beyond the calibration of remote sensing instruments, applications include; Digital Tissue Phantoms (Simulations of medical imagery), Factory Calibration of CMOS Sensors, Quality Control of Photographic Film Materials, Machine Vision Simulation, Polarization-Spatial-Spectral Illumination Sources.

The proposed PHIP instrument would be of benefit in calibrating imaging sensors in a number of NASA programs, including: Aerosol Polarimetry Sensor Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Instrument Incubator Program Sensors including the proposed Ocean Color Radiometer (ORCA).