Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc.

27 April 2026 • 5:00–5:20 PM EDT Presenter: Dr. Laura M. Eshelman “When GPS is unavailable or unreliable, autonomy doesn’t stop. It adapts,” said Dr. Laura M. Eshelman, Director of Strategic Development at Polaris Sensor Technologies. “SkyPASS brings navigation back to first principles, using the sky itself as a reliable, passive reference.” As autonomous systems increasingly operate in contested environments, Polaris Sensor Technologies is advancing a new approach to navigation that does not rely on GPS. At SPIE, Polaris will present SkyPASS (Sky Position, Azimuth, and Sensing Solution), a celestial navigation sensor designed to deliver precise position and orientation using passive sky-based references. SkyPASS combines star-field imaging, solar and lunar tracking, and polarization-based sky sensing to enable continuous navigation across ground, air, and sea domains. Integrated algorithms support real-time feature extraction, providing drift-free performance even under dynamic conditions, partial sky occlusion, and magnetic interference. The system has been validated through ground, airborne, and maritime testing.

28 April 2026 • 1:30-1:50 PM EDT Presenter: Dr. Bradley M. Ratliff (Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Director of Applied Sensing Lab) As polarimetric imaging continues to evolve, Polaris Sensor Technologies in collaboration with University of Dayton is contributing to the development of standardized methods for evaluating system performance. This work introduces polarimetric resolution targets designed to support consistent characterization of imaging polarimeters. These methods enable more reliable comparison across systems and represent an important step toward broader adoption and benchmarking of polarization-based technologies.

28 April 2026 • 3:00–3:20 PM EDT Presenter: Dr. Grant Scarboro “Autonomous systems need to see clearly at all times, not just when conditions are ideal,” said Dr. David H. Chenault, President and CEO of Polaris Sensor Technologies. “Polarimetric LWIR adds that extra layer of confidence needed for real-world operation.” To support the growing demands of autonomous platforms, Polaris Sensor Technologies has developed a compact polarimetric LWIR imaging system designed to improve road detection and obstacle avoidance under all operating conditions. The low-SWaP system integrates a novel microbolometer with a polarizer microgrid array, enabling simultaneous capture of all polarization states without motion artifacts. By increasing contrast under thermal equilibrium conditions, the system enhances detection while maintaining standard 24-hour LWIR performance. Real-time processing delivers fused imagery for improved situational awareness in dynamic environments.

28 April 2026 • 4:00–4:20 PM EDT Presenter: Adam P. Hagewood “Polarization helps separate natural from man-made objects in ways traditional imaging cannot,” said Adam P. Hagewood, Mechanical Engineering Lead at Polaris Sensor Technologies. “That added clarity makes subtle signals easier to detect and act on.” Polaris Sensor Technologies is extending the application of polarimetric imaging into environmental security, demonstrating how multispectral systems can improve detection of subtle and partially obscured features. Field-tested results show enhanced identification of oil sheens, vegetation disturbances, mixed debris, and other indicators of human activity across visible, SWIR, and LWIR bands. By fusing data from multiple spectral regions, Polaris enables more reliable detection and supports the development of AI-driven analysis tools.

28 April 2026 • 4:20–4:40 PM EDT Presenter: Adam M. Smith “Polarimetric data is powerful—but only if it’s usable,” said Adam M. Smith, Deputy CTO at Polaris Sensor Technologies. “Advanced processing is what turns noisy measurements into clear, actionable insight.” Recognizing that data quality is critical to operational performance, Polaris Sensor Technologies is advancing new processing techniques to improve the usability of polarimetric imaging systems. This work introduces a multi-frame, scene-based approach that reduces spatial and temporal noise in Division-of-Focal-Plane (DoFP) polarimeters. The method addresses fixed pattern noise, temporal artifacts, and aliasing, resulting in significantly improved image quality and signal-to-clutter ratio across airborne datasets and multiple sensing modalities.

28 April 2026 • 4:40–5:00 PM EDT Presenter: Dr. Bradley M. Ratliff (Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; Director of Applied Sensing Lab) To support continued innovation in the field, Polaris Sensor Technologies in collaboration with the University of Dayton is making a new set of co-boresighted airborne polarimetric datasets publicly available from the ROCX25 campaign. These datasets span multiple spectral bands and are designed to support research, algorithm development, and validation of polarimetric sensing techniques. By providing access to high-quality, real-world data, Polaris aims to accelerate development across the broader sensing community.

29 April 2026 • 3:50–4:10 PM EDT Presenter: Adam P. Hagewood “Across every waveband, polarization reveals information traditional imaging leaves behind,” said Adam P. Hagewood, Mechanical Engineering Lead at Polaris Sensor Technologies. “The challenge isn’t just capturing it—it’s turning it into operational advantage.” Building on its expertise in polarization-based sensing, Polaris Sensor Technologies is showcasing how polarimetric imaging across visible, SWIR, and LWIR bands can improve detection in operational environments. This work highlights the tradeoffs between increased temporal noise and enhanced contrast, demonstrating how polarization enables improved scene interpretation across multiple domains. Applications in maritime and terrestrial surveillance illustrate how these systems deliver meaningful performance gains, supported by processing techniques that reduce noise and improve usability.

30 April 2026 • 11:10–11:30 AM EDT Presenter: J. Larry Pezzaniti “Polarization changes the equation,” said J. Larry Pezzaniti, Chief Technology Officer at Polaris Sensor Technologies. “Even when noise increases, the gain in contrast and interpretability can deliver better detection where it matters most.” Polaris Sensor Technologies is addressing long-standing limitations in thermal imaging by applying polarimetric filtering techniques to long-wave infrared (LWIR) sensors. This work demonstrates how polarization can improve detection and scene interpretability, even in challenging operational environments. By integrating a pixelated polarimetric filter with an LWIR focal plane array, Polaris enhances target contrast and signal-to-clutter ratio. While this approach introduces increased noise-equivalent temperature difference (NEDT), proprietary processing algorithms mitigate these effects, resulting in improved overall detection performance compared to conventional thermal systems.