Recent Announcements

Post date: September 8, 2020

Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) awarded NASA SBIR Phase I

Angstrom: An Imaging Star Photometer

I2R has been awarded SBIR Phase I funding from NASA to develop a wide field-of-view, multi-band imaging star photometer. Angstrom is designed to augment traditional narrow field-of-view sun/lunar photometer networks and improve atmospheric monitoring by measuring night-time aerosol optical depth and the Angstrom parameter across the night sky using stars. Current photometers are directional and unable to measure rapidly changing atmospheric spatial variability and are easily impacted by clouds. In contrast, Angstrom measures large regions of the sky at night in multiple bands simultaneously, thereby increasing cloud free measurements, quantifying spatial variability and more than doubling the number of measurements acquired over a diurnal cycle. Angstrom tracks stars though image processing, eliminating complex precision moving mechanisms. It uses the relative positions of stars to determine its orientation and it can self-calibrate by rapidly tracking stars through a wide range of air mass. In this way, upfront installation and maintenance costs are reduced allowing Angstrom to be more easily deployed on ships, UAVs and fixed terrestrial locations all over the world.

Post date: 2018

Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) awarded Army SBIR Phase II

Real-time Remotely Sensed Topography and Bathymetry using Visible and LWIR Imagery Acquired from Small UAVs

Warfighters responsible for planning and conducting A2/AD entry operations require up-to-date, high-quality information within dynamic littoral zones. We plan to develop an easily deployable day-night measurement capability to accurately measure bathymetry, topography, currents and water surface temperature in near real-time from sensors and small computing capabilities housed within small multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UASs. For decades it has been known that nearshore bathymetry can be estimated using gravity wave dispersion relationships derived from a sequential set of downward-looking images (time series), but the current implementation is insufficient to meet the needs of the warfighter. Our approach integrates the cBathy and three-dimensional Fourier based gravity wave dispersion algorithms using thermal and visible imagery to produce robust nearshore bathymetry with a well-understood uncertainty estimate. The sensitivity of the algorithms to direct georeferencing will be explored to reduce the need for ground control points and fiducials for nighttime operation. Structure from Motion techniques using both visible and thermal imagery will generate topographic subaerial dense point clouds with RGB and temperature overlays. Small low power computing components will enable on-board real-time processing so information can be transmitted to ground personnel in near real-time.

Post date: 2018

Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) awarded NASA SBIR Phase II

An Affordable Autonomous Hydrogen Flame Detection System for Rocket Propulsion

NASA has long used liquid hydrogen as a fuel and plans to continue using it in association with their advanced nuclear thermal propulsion technology. Hydrogen fire detection is critical for rocket propulsion safety and maintenance. A significant fire at a rocket test or launch facility could be catastrophic to infrastructure or even worse, to human life. Detection monitoring is problematic as hydrogen flames can be nearly invisible during the day. Non-imaging, Non-visible fire detection technology has limited range and can suffer from false alarms from sources outside the region of interest. Low-cost visible imagers, commonly used for wide-scale routine surveillance, have limited utility detecting hydrogen fires. Although it has been known for decades that multispectral imaging outside the visible range can be used to detect fires with low false alarm rates, the price of such systems and the lack of processing algorithms and ability to implement them in real-time has largely prohibited their use. During this project we will develop a low-cost imaging capability that fuses data collected from sensors operating in the (1) solar blind ultra-violet, (2) thermal infrared, (3) mid-wave infrared, and (4) visible spectrum, using advanced spectral, spatial and temporal processing techniques optimized to detect and generate alerts associated with hydrogen fires in real-time. This multi-sensor, multi-processing approach will enable us to automate flame detection with extremely low false alarm rates. This multisensory imaging research could also support NASA's important cool flame microgravity research occurring on the International Space Station.

Post date: June 29, 2018

­ Hyperspectral Instrument DESIS Launches to International Space Station in 2018

Innovative Imaging and Research attended the DESIS launch to the International Space Station

Innovative Imaging and Research is supporting Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE) to validate the image quality and absolute radiometric calibration accuracy of imagery acquired by the DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS) onboard the ISS. DESIS imagery is commercially available through TBE.

For more information go to:

Post date: 2017

Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) awarded Army SBIR Phase I

Real-time Remotely Sensed Topography and Bathymetry using Visible and LWIR Imagery Acquired from Small UASs

Warfighters responsible for planning and conducting A2/AD entry operations require up-to-date, high-quality information within dynamic littoral zones. We plan to develop an easily deployable day-night measurement capability to accurately measure bathymetry, topography, currents and water surface temperature in near real-time from sensors and small computing capabilities housed within small multi-rotor vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UASs. For decades it has been known that nearshore bathymetry can be estimated using gravity wave dispersion relationships derived from a sequential set of downward-looking images (time series), but the current implementation is insufficient to meet the needs of the warfighter. Our approach integrates the cBathy and three-dimensional Fourier based gravity wave dispersion algorithms using thermal and visible imagery to produce robust nearshore bathymetry with a well-understood uncertainty estimate. The sensitivity of the algorithms to direct georeferencing will be explored to reduce the need for ground control points and fiducials for nighttime operation. Structure from Motion techniques using both visible and thermal imagery will generate topographic subaerial dense point clouds with RGB and temperature overlays. Small low power computing components will enable on-board real-time processing so information can be transmitted to ground personnel in near real-time.

Post date: Aug 14, 2016

Innovative Imaging and Research and NASA's high speed high dynamic range (HDR) video technology captures Orbital ATK’s SLS rocket motor test firing

Innovative Imaging and Research is collaborating with NASA SSC Early Career Investigators to develop High Speed High Dynamic Range imaging technology. An early version of this technology was used to image Orbital ATK’s Space Launch System (SLS) solid rocket motor test firing in the Utah desert.

For more information go to:

Post date: Aug 14, 2016

Innovative Imaging and Research awarded a NOAA Phase II Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Project

On July 25, 2016 Innovative Imaging and Research was awarded a NOAA Phase II Small Business Innovative Research Project to develop a new radiometric vicarious calibration approach for the Suomi NPP VIIRS Day/Night Band’s (DNB) high gain stage (HGS). This research will produce affordable, field-deployable, NIST-traceable point source lamps that can achieve HGS DNB radiance per pixel with a long-term, post-correction source stability of better than 1%. This technology will complement traditional,extended source, radiance-based calibrations, which are based on natural lunar illumination. The new approach should be applicable to other nighttime imagers and will help calibrate other point sources observed by VIIRS.

Post date: May 27, 2016

Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) awarded a NASA Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Project

On May 17, 2016 Innovative Imaging and Research was notified that they were awarded a NASA Phase I Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) project. The project is titled Color-XHDR - A Compact High-Speed Color Extreme High Dynamic Range Video Capability for Rocket Engine Testing and will begin June 10.

Innovative Imaging and Research proposes to develop a 21st Century color, high-speed extreme high dynamic range color video recording system that will produce calibrated, engineering-grade video to accurately document rocket motor firings, at close range within a test cell, without image saturation. This novel imaging system will include a compact, single camera/single focal plane array camera and end-to-end image processing software to produce, high quality, low noise, high-speed video not currently possible with today’s technology.

For more information see http://sbir.nasa.gov/

Post date: Oct 15, 2009

Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) receives FAA 333 Exemption for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Operation

Company first in South Mississippi allowed to fly UAV's under 200 ft for commercial purposes with FAA Exemption

Stennis Space Center— January 28, 2016 — Innovative Imaging and Research (I2R) announced the company was granted a Section 333 Exemption from the FAA to commercially operate and train others using their unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). I2R’s vehicles are outfitted with calibrated camera systems to create ultra-high resolution imagery and GIS mapping products. This Section 333 Exemption was accompanied by a blanket Certificate of Authority (COA) to allow I2R to commercially fly anywhere under 200 feet altitude with only certain restrictions, such as proximity to airports and populated events.

In addition to high quality image products and mosaics, I2R provides capability demonstrations and consultations with potential clients interested in adding high quality UAV imagery to their existing business models. “Initially, I2R will be focusing on developing business related to environmental site monitoring, emergency response, and UAV imaging research,” stated Mary Pagnutti, I2R President and Co-Founder. “There are a number of businesses that can benefit from this capability. For example, we have been working with the Civil Air Patrol to integrate this technology into their search and rescue operations.” Other applications include industrial or construction site mapping, infrastructure inspections and baseline or post-disaster site assessments over inaccessible areas.

In addition to providing services using I2R’s systems, the company also offers technology consulting and training to clients interested in understanding the uses of UAV imaging capability within their own business operation.

I2R continues to enhance the capabilities of their UAVs – by recently adding a second NGB (Near Infrared-Green-Blue) camera to simultaneously capture imagery with their normally flown RGB (Red-Green-Blue) camera. A First Person View (FPV) capability can also provide a live “feed” for monitoring in real time if needed. I2R is also assessing integrating other imaging capabilities, including Lidar, thermal, and hyperspectral into their UAVs.

“We’re seeing a number of local hobbyists combining small UAVs, purchased as Christmas gifts, with very small cameras to generate aerial images,” said Pagnutti. “In a way, our system follows the same concept, but instead it is designed and operated with scientific rigor using mission planning software, stabilized and calibrated cameras, and advanced post-processing software to provide more accurate, higher quality data. Imagery from our system is ready for use in any GIS tool.”

Founded in 2007, I2R is a small, women owned business with offices in the business incubator managed by the Mississippi Enterprise for Technology (MsET) at Stennis Space Center. With primarily a research and development focus, I2R specializes in remote sensing, geospatial, and optics-based products and services to industry and government customers. In addition, they provide engineering services to improve geospatial products such as calibrating instruments and developing custom algorithms to enhance image quality.

More information on I2R can be found on the MsET website, www.mset.org, under Clients, then Incubator Residents. For additional information on their products, services, consulting, and training, please contact Mary Pagnutti at 228-688-2452 / mpagnutti@i2rcorp.com.