EmberScope

AAO decision package

EmberScope

A compact long-wave infrared (LWIR) camera payload concept for drone searches that need to find smouldering heat sources before they become larger rural fire incidents.

Open project review index Download technical package Review mission fit

Project status: design study only — nothing has been built.

EmberScope exists today as software: an optical design search, ray-trace and radiometric models, and written validation plans. No mirrors have been fabricated, no detector has been purchased, and no flights or field measurements have taken place. The most mature artifact is an optimized four-mirror optical prescription (10 June 2026) that fits the payload envelope and reaches the diffraction scale on axis; fabrication readiness, tolerancing, and every detection-performance claim remain open.

Mission problem

The camera has to detect small heat sources without breaking the drone mission.

The working mission is a 150 mm, sub-2 kg thermal payload that can support one-hour revisit planning, controlled false alarms, and replayable evidence for a smouldering target over rural backgrounds.

That makes this a camera-level decision: optics, detector, calibration, data pipeline, payload structure, and field testing have to close together.

Decision focus

AAO should decide whether this is the right optical maturation path.

The current evidence supports continued compact reflective work. It does not yet prove detection performance or fabrication readiness.

Rendered optimized four-mirror EmberScope optical train with traced beam paths inside the 150 millimetre envelope wireframe.
The optimized four-mirror prescription (10 June 2026), rendered from the traced geometry: gold conic mirrors, the folded beam for three field angles, the entrance stop ring, and the 150 mm envelope wireframe.
Orthographic side render of the optimized four-mirror train showing the folded beam plane and entrance stop depth.
Side view of the fold plane. The grey ring is the entrance stop, separated from the powered mirrors along the traced path.
Orthographic top render of the optimized four-mirror train showing lateral spacing between mirrors and the entrance stop.
Top view from the same geometry, showing the lateral spacing of the mirrors, stop ring, detector, and envelope wireframe.
Front orthographic render of the optimized four-mirror train showing the entrance stop ring edge-on below the primary mirror.
Front view, with the circular stop rendered edge-on, gives a second projection for checking the apparent overlap.
Reverse oblique render of the optimized four-mirror train showing the traced beam and mirror spacing from the opposite side.
Reverse oblique view for checking whether the entrance bundle, primary, secondary, and envelope are visually self-consistent.

Current evidence

The modelled optical design now closes. The field-evidence case remains open.

Modelled

Optical design

An optimized four-mirror prescription (10 June 2026) fits the 150 mm envelope, uses only conic mirrors, and reaches the diffraction scale at the centre of the field in ray-trace models.

Working assumption

Detector path

Boson+ 640 radiometric is the preferred custom-optics detector branch, pending detector-coupled optical exports.

Needs proof

Detection performance

GSD, NETD, calibration drift, and false-positive scenes still need measured closure. No hardware exists yet.

Main technical risks

The unresolved issues are specific enough to test.

Optical quality and vignetting

Four ray-path rules are first-class evaluation gates: non-vignetted propagation, small fold angles where practical, detector-plane placement, and flatter image surfaces.

Radiometry and data integrity

Detection claims need raw or pre-automatic-gain-control thermal frames, NUC state, references, and replayable alert records.

Field validation

Bench and surrogate targets must precede controlled burns, and no-fire rural scenes must be measured beside positive detections.

Technical archive

Detailed pages remain available under four grouped paths.

Next AAO decisions

The next review should choose the evidence gates, not just admire the concept render.

1

Mission closure

Confirm target area, altitude authorisation, payload count, false-alarm tolerance, and whether the 150 mm cube is a hard requirement.

2

Optics maturation

Decide whether the optimized four-mirror prescription proceeds to tolerancing and vendor review, and whether the F-number trade reopens the architecture.

3

Detector and radiometry

Lock the detector interface enough to replace generic image-energy assumptions with measured FPA and calibration behaviour.

4

Validation ladder

Approve the bench-to-field route before controlled burn claims or operational readiness claims are made.