Multispectral camera for surveillance being developed by European Commission

As part of the European Commission, Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS) is funding a project to develop a snapshot multispectral camera featuring the latest photonics technologies that will be used for surveillance applications.

Designed for applications such as coastal surveillance, the multispectral camera will measure the size of a shoebox and weigh less than 2 kg. It will feature a multi-aperture, multi-sensor design and will be able to capture several wavelengths simultaneously in one place. In addition to surveillance, the camera will play a role in the monitoring of greenhouse gases as well.

The World Health Organization, according to a press release, estimates that in 2014, nearly 600,000 deaths came as a result of air pollution in Europe. This new multispectral camera, which is dubbed SEERS(Snapshot spectral imager for IR surveillance), will help monitor gases and play a key role in safety and security in the areas in which it is deployed. Furthermore, the camera will be used for safety un tunnels and underground trains.

"Accidents in tunnels, while rare, are extremely serious when they do happen. Responding quickly and in a targeted manner is vital. We expect rescue and response times will be cut significantly with the SEERS camera", Anton Garcia-Diaz, Project Coordinator, said.

SEERS has received a grant of €3,750,535 from Horizon 2020 via the Photonics Public Private Partnership. Garcia-Diaz offered further comments on the camera:

"The SEERS device is equipped with integrated computational imaging. It has no need for cooling and can process the images in real-time, meaning key parts of processing are embedded within the device."

The stated goal of the SEERS project is to first develop the multispectral imager, then adopt an embedded approach for image reconstruction, cognitive image fusion, video pre-processing, and event-driven operation. From there, the team will utilize a novel video analytics solution for smart networked operation. The camera, according to CORDIS, will feature a microbolometer focal plane array adapted to multi-aperture imaging requirements, a spectral optical design that combines beam splitting and multi-aperture imaging, multi-aperture sensor arrays for multispectral and super-resolution imaging, and embedded image processing features. SEERS will “enable robust intelligent surveillance with event-driven and smart performance,” suggested the CORDIS project page.

View the CORDIS project page.
View the SEERS page.

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