Prof. Matthew G. McHarg Profile

Prof. Matthew G. McHarg

Director SPARC at US Air Force Academy

SPIE Involvement:

Author

Publications (14)

Proceedings Article | 3 October 2023 Presentation + Paper

Event-based camera refractory period characterization and initial clock drift evaluation

Peter McMahon-Crabtree, Lucas Kulesza, Brian McReynolds, Daniel O'Keefe, Anirvin Puttur, Diana Maestas, Christian Morath, Matthew McHarg

Proceedings Volume 12693, 126930V (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2672301

KEYWORDS: Cameras, Clocks, Sensors, Commercial off the shelf technology, Integrating spheres, Light sources, Monte Carlo methods, Light emitting diodes, Modulation, Visualization

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Event-based camera (EBC) technology provides high-dynamic range operation and shows promise for efficient capture of spatio-temporal information, producing a sparse data stream and enabling consideration of nontraditional data processing solutions (e.g., new algorithms, neuromorphic processors, etc.). Given the fundamental difference in camera architecture, the EBC response and noise behavior differ considerably compared to standard CCD/CMOS framing sensors. These differences necessitate the development of new characterization techniques and sensor models to evaluate hardware performance and elucidate the trade-space between the two camera architectures. Laboratory characterization techniques reported previously include noise level as a function of static scene light level (background activity) and contrast responses referred to as S-curves. Here we present further progress on development of basic characterization methods and test capabilities for commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) visible EBCs, with a focus on measurement of pixel deadtime (refractory period) including results for the 4th-generation sensor from Prophesee and Sony. Refractory period is empirically determined from analysis of the interspike intervals (ISIs), and results visualized using log-histograms of the minimum per-pixel ISI values for a subset of pixels activated by a controlled dynamic scene. Our tests of the Prophesee gen4 EVKv2 yield refractory period estimates ranging from 6.1 msec to 6.8 μsec going from the slowest (20) to fastest (100) settings of the relevant bias parameter, bias_refr. We also introduce and demonstrate the concept of pixel bandwidth measurement from data captured while viewing a static scene – based on recording data at a range of refractory period setting and then analyzing noise-event statistics. Finally, we present initial results for estimating and correcting EBC clock drift using a GPS PPS signal to generate special timing events in the event-list data streams generated by the DAVIS346 and DVXplorer EBCs from iniVation.

Proceedings Article | 3 October 2023 Presentation + Paper

Off-axis laser scatter detection with an event camera

Chancellor Roach, Dylan Tomlinson, Matthew McHarg, Timothy Bate

Proceedings Volume 12693, 1269311 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2677203

KEYWORDS: Laser scattering, Cameras, Sensors, Repetition frequency, Laser processing, Rayleigh scattering, Tunable filters, Image sensors, Optical filters, Data modeling, Neuroimaging

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Proceedings Article | 3 October 2023 Presentation + Paper

Modeling and decoding event-based sensor lightning response

Brian McReynolds, Rui Graca, Daniel O'Keefe, Rachel Oliver, Richard Balthazor, Nathaniel George, Matthew McHarg

Proceedings Volume 12693, 1269313 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2674435

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Cameras, Light sources and illumination, Lightning, Transistors, Photocurrent, Modeling, Performance modeling, Statistical modeling, Simulations

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SPIE Journal Paper | 31 August 2022 Open Access

Falcon Neuro: an event-based sensor on the International Space Station

Matthew McHarg, Richard Balthazor, Brian McReynolds, David Howe, Colin Maloney, Daniel O’Keefe, Rayomand Bam, Gabriel Wilson, Paras Karki, Alexandre Marcireau, Gregory Cohen

OE, Vol. 61, Issue 08, 085105, (August 2022) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.10.1117/1.OE.61.8.085105

KEYWORDS: Cameras, Sensors, Optical engineering, Field programmable gate arrays, Data acquisition, Space operations, Linear filtering, Imaging systems, Physics, Staring arrays

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Proceedings Article | 13 May 2019 Paper

Undergraduate research and science mission opportunities with microtechnology enabled particle detectors

C. Maldonado, M. McHarg, R. Balthazor, R. Osiander

Proceedings Volume 10982, 109820I (2019) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2519128

KEYWORDS: Sensors, Plasma, Space operations, Particles, Satellites, Ions, Physics, Environmental sensing, Plasma diagnostics

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Proceedings Article | 29 July 2016 Paper

FalconSAT-7: a membrane space solar telescope

Geoff Andersen, Olha Asmolova, Matthew McHarg, Trey Quiller, Carlos Maldonado

Proceedings Volume 9904, 99041P (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2229711

KEYWORDS: Space telescopes, Telescopes, Solar telescopes, Cameras, Sun, Etching, Oxygen, Diffraction, Binary data, Computer aided design

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Proceedings Article | 22 September 2015 Paper

Design and test of a novel solar imaging payload for small satellites

Olha Asmolova, Geoff Andersen, Matthew McHarg, Trey Quiller, Carlos Maldonado, Thomas Dickinson

Proceedings Volume 9602, 96020F (2015) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2189918

KEYWORDS: Oxygen, Satellites, Sun, Cameras, Satellite imaging, Space telescopes, Telescopes, Computer aided design, Diffraction, Control systems

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Proceedings Article | 25 February 2014 Paper

Optical testing of a membrane diffractive optic for space-based solar imaging

Olha Asmolova, Geoff Andersen, Michael Dearborn, Matthew McHarg, Trey Quiller, Thomas Dickinson

Proceedings Volume 9006, 90060D (2014) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2037035

KEYWORDS: Humidity, Telescopes, Optical testing, Diffractive optical elements, Sun, Diffraction gratings, Space telescopes, Polymers, Interferometry, Point spread functions

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Proceedings Article | 21 May 2013 Paper

Optical analysis of a membrane photon sieve space telescope

Olha Asmolova, Geoff Andersen, Michael Dearborn, Matthew McHarg, Trey Quiller, Thomas Murphey

Proceedings Volume 8739, 87390C (2013) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2015416

KEYWORDS: Space telescopes, Diffraction, Telescopes, Humidity, Sun, Imaging systems, Cameras, Optical instrument design, Microelectromechanical systems, Error analysis

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Proceedings Article | 21 September 2012 Paper

FalconSAT-7: a membrane photon sieve CubeSat solar telescope

Geoff Andersen, Olha Asmolov, Michael Dearborn, Matthew McHarg

Proceedings Volume 8442, 84421C (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.924250

KEYWORDS: Solar telescopes, Optics manufacturing, Space telescopes, Manufacturing, Polymers, Diffraction, Satellites, Sun, Telescopes, Binary data

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Proceedings Article | 25 May 2012 Paper

Membrane photon sieve telescope

Geoff Andersen, Michael Dearborn, Matthew McHarg, Jeff Harvey

Proceedings Volume 8385, 83850B (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.918613

KEYWORDS: Space telescopes, Diffraction, Telescopes, Optics manufacturing, Polymers, Manufacturing, Optical design, Cameras, Optical instrument design, Solar telescopes

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