Design and realization of a compact catadioptric multichannel camera with a large field of view for the LWIR range

We present a novel uncooled infrared camera system operating in the 8-14 µm spectral range, optimized for surveillance and detection tasks, particularly in vehicle driver assistance systems. Unlike traditional cameras, thermal camera systems effectively detect pedestrians in low-light conditions, such as rain, fog, and darkness, due to their reliance on thermal emissions regardless of lighting. The design incorporates a multichannel catadioptric system based on a two-mirror Schmidt-Cassegrain objective, achieving an effective fast optics F/1.4, high angular resolution (16 pixels/deg), and a wide field of view (34° × 13°). Utilizing advanced large-scale wafer M(O)EMS processes for the individual optical components, the system features state-of-the-art bolometer arrays to create a combined image resolution of 524 × 207 pixels from 2 × 4 channels. We present the design, realization, and application of this compact camera solution.