Swedish Army buys Kopin infrared imager

APRIL 11--Kopin Corp. (Taunton, MA; www.kopin.com) has been awarded a production order for its rugged CyberDisplay 640 subsystem from SaabTech Electronics (Lidingo, Sweden). This subsystem is going to be integrated into an infrared (or thermal) imaging camera for use by the Swedish Army. Equipped with night-vision capabilities, this camera will provide high-resolution thermal-image capabilities to see through smoke and fog.

The CyberDisplay subsystem converts the output from infrared imaging electronics to a high-resolution monochrome image. Its display delivers 640 x 480-pixel resolution in a 0.38-in.-diagonal package that operates over a -40°C to +70°C temperature range.

Michael Presz, vice president and general manager of Kopin's visual products group, says, "This plug-and-play subsystem is equivalent to a viewfinder for an infrared camera. The system converts 8-bit digital data to 256 levels of gray scale and makes the infrared image appear lifelike. In addition to military uses, the CyberDisplay also suits thermal-imaging devices for firefighters to see through smoke and navigational devices for finding the way to shore at night."

Technology-research firm Maxtech International (Fairfield, CT; www.maxtech-intl.com) predicts that the US market for infrared devices will top $2 billion in 2004.