The cost of thermal imaging technology has, up until now, precluded its widespread use in sensor systems which require sensors to be deployed in very large numbers. This paper describes a method of achieving this goal of bringing low-cost 'disposable' thermal imaging into the dismounted military environment. Infrared detectors based on the manufacturing processes used in the production of conventional silicon chips offer a breakthrough in cost compared to other technologies. Despite having modest performance, this technology offers a route towards a very cost-effective thermal imaging sensor for dismounted applications. A flexible detector format which permits the detector to operate as a conventional close-packed 2-d array or as a faster update linear array gives the opportunity for performance optimisation and data reduction at the sensor, important attributes for a remotely deployed sensor with limited power resources. This paper describes a sensor architecture which is well matched to the cost, power consumption, and performance levels suited to short-range dismounted and networked operations, and demonstrates some of the imaging capability achievable with such a simple (and hence potentially extremely low cost) sensor.
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