POLARIS SENSOR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
HUNTSVILLE, AL

Founded in 2003, Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. is a leading electro-optic sensor developer exploiting a fundamental phenomenon of light, called polarization, to reveal details undetected by other imaging devices. Our research has resulted in the development of novel imaging sensors in wavebands of light from the visible to the long wave infrared. These sensors, referred to as Polarization Imagers, solve difficult detection and imaging issues for military and commercial applications. Our enhanced polarization imagers are designed to operate in a specific waveband or a combination of wavebands best suited for the application. Starting with only scientific concepts, we have delivered highly-specialized sensors funded by the military that have evolved into laboratory instruments as well as small, rugged prototype systems suitable for agriculture, construction, surveillance, targeting, tracking and inspection. Advanced algorithms and calibration software enable the systems to operate beyond the performance of traditional cameras. Today, the applied research investment exceeds 25 million dollars and commercial off the shelf products are being field tested and readied for the commercial market. Polaris is a prime governmental contractor with wholly owned subsidiaries focused on commercializing a number of its technologies, including fire detectors, smoke grenades and imaging polarimeters. Knowflame, and Knowmore, Inc. are purposefully formed to accept investment, ease exports, and contract and price with flexibility. When the time is right we move quickly into the commercial markets. For this reason, we seek external partners to develop novel and high-value products.•Be the first to embrace new technology, be an early adopter, a market disrupter, and lead with our assistance. Polarization is a fundamental property of light not readily utilized in commercial cameras. Polarization can add range, improve specificity and provide details not delivered by other imaging technologies. The polarization signature of man-made objects and certain natural substances are different than the surrounding background, thus providing additional contrast in polarization imagery when compared to standard thermal or visible imagery. For this reason, objects that blend in to the background when using standard thermal and visible cameras often stand out in polarization imagery. Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. has been an industry leader, designer and developer of imaging systems providing daylight detail in the dark as well as visibility in low contrast conditions for military and scientific entities. provided agencies with statutory authority to award sole-source contracts to women-owned small businesses (WOSBs) through the WOSB Federal Contract Program in certain NAICS codes. Polaris Sensor Technologies operates within these specially designated codes Research and Development 54712 and Engineering Services 541330. Polaris Sensor Technologies, Inc. is a certified woman owned small business. CEO and Co-Founder of Polaris Sensor Technologies, Ms. Banish formed the company as a Principal Investigator of Small Business Innovation Research contracts focused on artificial intelligence. She located Polaris inside an incubator program at the University of Alabama. She developed accounting and contracting systems that won the approval of the Defense Contracting and Auditing Agency. After incubating one year, she relocated Polaris to a facility in downtown Huntsville with large laboratory spaces and an outdoor test platform to facilitate collection of sky polarization signatures and other experiments. She has developed software, hardware and optical systems to support research. Under her direction, Polaris has an established and growing patent portfolio and is licensing technology to market leaders. Two spinoff subsidiaries, Knowflame and Knowmore, have been formed around novel products. Prior to founding Polaris, Ms. Banish worked at a number of research firms and founded another company, MEMSOPTICAL, that was funded by Venture Capital and eventually sold to a multinational company. Ms. Banish received her B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1987 with a minor in Engineering Management. She received her M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1994. She has a specialty in Applied Optics. Dr Pezzaniti initiates, directs, and manages a large portion of Polaris’ new technology development. He is a subject matter expert in polarization imaging, micro and macro optical system development, and physical aerodynamic optical effects. His breadth of knowledge includes not only optical disciplines, but also mechanical, electrical, electronic, processing, and analytical specialties that directly lead to the success and customer satisfaction of Polaris R&D and product development efforts. While he routinely develops novel and innovative optical system concepts, lens designs, components, integrated assemblies, he is able to manage and lead multidiscipline teams to implement and complete projects. Dr. Pezzaniti has over 75 journal publications and holds 23 patents and is a collaborative member of research teams at leading universities as well as Army, Air Force and Navy Research Laboratories. Dr. Pezzaniti graduated from the University of Florida and in 1993 completed his Ph.D .at the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) under renowned polarization expert Dr. Russell Chipman. Mr. Harchanko has over 25 years of leadership, management, and engineering/research experience in designing and developing optical systems across the UV, visible, SWIR, MWIR, and LWIR wavebands. He is a subject matter expert in optical systems for space, counter-IED for the dismounted soldier, and disturbed earth detection using optical sensors. In addition to new business development and managing multiple ongoing contracts, he also performs an extensive amount of algorithm development using conventional and neural network approaches. His forte is optical systems engineering to achieve the optimal balance of sensor hardware and algorithms in order to maximize system performance. The application of these skills launched KnowFlame, a spinoff subsidiary. He is the primary or sole inventor of 7 patents and received his B.S. of Optical Science at the University of Alabama in Huntsville in 1992.