Photo sensor imaging technologies specialist Photonis has received the 2015 Ingénieur Général Chanson Award. The French innovation prize is awarded annually by the French Armament Association for companies and individuals whose innovations contribute to significant operational improvements in land defense systems. Photonics received the award for the development of the Kameleon Day to Night Color Imaging Sensor.
The award was presented on June 2 by General Bosser, French Army Chief of Staff, to Photonics Chief Technical Officer Geoffroy Deltel and colleague Damien Letexier for the development of a color sensor that can detect images at very low light levels.
Appropriately named “Kameleon,” the sensor detects and projects images in color at night levels 1 (full moon). To date, conventional night vision imaging systems can only detect monochrome (black/white) images under similar lighting conditions.
The Kameleon uses a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) similar to mobile phones, which in itself, cannot distinguish colors. To identify color, Kameleon uses a patented innovation where two raw images and a reconstruction algorithm reproduce the final image in color in real time.
The Kameleon technology is currently being tested in applications such as Special Forces’ stealth surveillance, digital day and night weapon sights, vehicle situational awareness, driver vision enhanced systems, helicopter pilot helmets and on drones (UAVs). It facilitates identification friend-foe (IFF), target identification and the identification of danger zones.
According to the company, Kameleon can be used in daylight and night, up to night level 3 (quarter moon with cloud cover). In lower light levels, the sensor will revert visible images to black and white.
Kameleon is part of the nocturne range of day and night sensors, camera cores and equipment that provide day and night imaging for security and defense applications and is developed by Photonis’ Digital Imaging division.
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