Pyxis Polarization Enhanced Thermal Imagers
The Pyxis® Series from Polaris Sensor Technologies represents a fundamental advancement beyond conventional thermal imaging — the world’s smallest, lightest polarimetric imagers combining real-time thermal intensity with Degree of Linear Polarization (DoLP) and Angle of Polarization (AoP) in a single, field-deployable camera. Available in LWIR HD, SWIR, and Visible configurations, Pyxis uses a pixelated polarizer array integrated directly onto the focal plane to capture all polarization states simultaneously — eliminating motion artifacts and enabling true snapshot polarimetry. The result is eTherm®, Polaris’s proprietary pixel-level fusion of thermal intensity, polarization orientation, and DoLP into a single intuitive colorized image that reveals material properties, surface geometry, and object structure that standard thermal cameras simply cannot see. Battery-operated, platform-agnostic, and SWaP-optimized for handheld, vehicle-mounted, and UAS integration, Pyxis is a proven force multiplier for ISR, counter-UAS, route clearance, oil-on-water detection, autonomous navigation, and facial recognition applications.
| Why Polarimetric Imaging? The Technology Advantage |
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| Clutter suppression & man-made target detection Man-made objects emit polarized infrared radiation due to their surface geometry and material composition. Natural backgrounds — terrain, vegetation, water — are largely unpolarized. Pyxis exploits this physical difference, making man-made targets stand out even when they are thermally invisible. Targets shaded from the sun (and thus lacking solar loading) that are indistinguishable in a thermal image become clearly visible in the polarization image. |
| Detection through thermal crossover During thermal equilibrium periods — dawn, dusk, nighttime — target temperatures match the surrounding background, making thermal-only detection impossible. Polarization contrast is independent of temperature, allowing Pyxis to continue detecting targets reliably even when conventional LWIR cameras go blind. |
| Detection of partially obscured & under-resolved targets When a vehicle is parked under a tree or a target is partially hidden by foliage, thermal imaging may fail entirely. Polarization signatures can be detected through openings in foliage, and even with just a few pixels on target, the unique polarization signature is sufficient for detection — making size, shape, color, and brightness irrelevant. |
| High True Positive / Low False Positive detection Because polarization is based on the physical physics of the target surface — not thermal contrast or object size — Pyxis achieves high True Positive Detection Rates (TPDR) with low False Positive Detection Rates (FPDR), even in terrain, maritime, and sky clutter environments. |
| eTherm® color fusion — multidimensional situational awareness Polaris’s proprietary eTherm® fuses thermal intensity (brightness), DoLP (saturation), and Angle of Polarization (hue) into a single colorized image. Objects of the same polarization orientation share the same hue — helping operators instantly identify target pose, material composition, and spatial relationships in a single intuitive view. |
| Key Features |
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| • Real-time polarimetric video — simultaneous thermal intensity, DoLP, AoP, and eTherm® fused output in a single camera |
| • Snapshot polarimetry — pixelated polarizer array captures all polarization states simultaneously; immune to motion artifacts of sensor or scene |
| • Available in LWIR HD, SWIR, and Visible configurations — 1024×1024 to 2K×2K formats |
| • Ultra-compact & lightweight — the industry’s smallest LWIR polarimeter; LWIR HD weighs 241 g; SWaP-compatible with Class 1 UAS, handheld, and vehicle platforms |
| • Up to 400% better contrast than thermal alone — detects oil on water, thermally-invisible targets, and partially-obscured objects that thermal cameras miss |
| • eTherm® color fusion — proprietary pixel-level fusion of thermal, DoLP, and AoP for intuitive colorized situational awareness |
| • Battery-operated & platform-agnostic — handheld, helmet-mounted, vehicle-mounted, or drone-integrated; analog and digital outputs |
| • Polaris Vega & Pyxis Vision Science software — tablet-accessible real-time sensor control, data acquisition, recording, and analysis |
| • 24/7 operation — unaffected by thermal crossover, low light, or nighttime conditions; no illumination required |
System Specifications
| Specification | Pyxis LWIR HD | Pyxis SWIR | Pyxis VIS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Detector | |||
| Detector Type | Uncooled Microbolometer (VOx) | InGaAs | CMOS |
| Spectral Range | 8 – 12 µm (LWIR) | 0.9 – 1.7 µm (SWIR) | Visible |
| Resolution | 1024 × 1024 (up to 2K×2K) |
1024 × 1024 (up to 2K×2K) |
1024 × 1024 (up to 2K×2K) |
| Pixel Pitch | 17 µm | — | — |
| Frame Rate | 30 Hz | 30 Hz | 30 Hz |
| Polarimetry | |||
| Polarization Type | Snapshot pixelated polarizer array — all states captured simultaneously | ||
| Stokes Parameters | S0 (intensity), S1, S2 → DoLP & AoP | ||
| Outputs | Thermal (S0), DoLP, AoP, eTherm® color fusion — real-time simultaneous | ||
| Typical NeDOLP | <0.3% (contact us for cooled LWIR options achieving <0.1%) | ||
| Interface & Mechanical | |||
| Data Interface | GigE; analog and digital outputs | ||
| Weight | 241 g (camera only) | Contact us | Contact us |
| Power | Battery-operated; platform-agnostic | ||
| Platform Compatibility | Handheld, helmet-mounted, vehicle-mounted, Class 1 UAS / drone | ||
| Software | Polaris Vega / Pyxis Vision Science (PVS) — Windows & tablet; Linux SDK available | ||
| LWIR HD Lens Options | |||
| 20 mm f/0.85 | Standard — included with base configuration | ||
| 40 mm f/1.0 | Medium telephoto | ||
| 75 mm f/1.0 | Telephoto | ||
| 100 mm f/1.0 | Long telephoto | ||
| 15–75 mm f/1.2 zoom | Continuous zoom — optional hot-swappable mount | ||
| Applications |
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| • Intelligence, Surveillance & Reconnaissance (ISR) — day/night target detection in terrain, sky, and maritime clutter environments |
| • Counter-UAS (C-UAS) — polarization-enhanced contrast for detection, discrimination, and tracking of UAS threats |
| • Route clearance — detection of IEDs, mines, and other buried or hidden threats in high-clutter environments |
| • Oil-on-water detection — detects oil as thin as 50 µm, distinguishing it from vegetation, sea kelp, and sun glint up to 1 km away |
| • Autonomous navigation — road edge detection, visual odometry, vehicle following, and autonomous landing zone safety for UAS |
| • Facial recognition & biometric ID — polarization-enhanced thermal imagery for non-cooperative biometric identification without external illumination |
