Science and Engineering Council of Santa Barbara
March Luncheon
at
The Elephant Bar Restaurant
Thursday, March 9, 2006 12:00-1:30 PM

Infrared Scene Projection:
Virtual Reality for IR Sensor Test & Evaluation

Infrared (IR) imaging technology is now ubiquitous in scientific, commercial, and military applications. Santa Barbara plays a key role the IR industry, with a half-dozen local firms at the technological forefront. In the IR sensor community, uncooled "microbolometer" arrays (many produced in Santa Barbara) have created a paradigm shift in long-wavelength IR imaging.

However, despite recent sensor advancements, many systems are very costly to test in the field. High-fidelity simulation systems have been developed to address this need, saving both time and money, and resulting in better sensors. Specifically, IR scene projection (IRSP) has emerged--based largely on the same uncooled microbolometer technology which has revolutionized LWIR imaging. This presentation will provide a lighthearted overview of IR sensors and key technologies, with emphasis on modern "virtual-reality" based testing methods.

------PRESENTER------

Paul Bryant
President, Left Coast Consulting

Paul Bryant is President of Left Coast Consulting, which he founded in 2005. He has two decades of experience in the electro-optics industry, and has led the development of a wide range of visible and infrared detector and sensor systems, EO testers, and R&D programs. Previously, Paul was Technical Director at Santa Barbara Infrared (SBIR). Over the past 20 years, he has also held various positions at Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC) and Santa Barbara Remote Sensing (SBRS). He holds a BSEE from University of California, Santa Barbara.

------OTHER INFO------

$14 for SEC members; $19 for non-members.
Information: Barbara Keaney (E-mail: scieng@silcom.com or call 805-684-4927).
Reservations NOT required.
Elephant Bar Restaurant: 521 Firestone Road.
Website: http://www.scieng.org

From the President: Thanks again to all of you who have renewed your memberships and donated to SEC's scholarship fund. If you haven't sent in your membership renewal yet, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible. Also, we are still accepting contributions for our scholarship fund, and encourage you to be generous in supporting our local students. Please join us in March and see the SEC's web site www.scieng.org to find out more about upcoming events.

Tim Murphy