The Electro-Optical and InfraRed (EOIR) Systems group conducts research, development, analysis, and design for infrared systems, imagers, sensors, and components. The EOIR group is directed by Dr. Ron Driggers and performs research on applications that include target acquisition, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance (ISR), threat warning, and mobility (including degraded visual environments). It is heavily involved in, but not limited to, the development of new and innovative military and security materials, devices, cameras, systems, concepts, and design approaches. Current research includes infrared search and track (IRST) sensor performance as well as infrared countermeasures (IRCM) and new targeting sensors with deep electron wells. Our group has expertise that spans targets, backgrounds, atmospherics, optics, detectors, signal and image processing, displays, and human vision.
Graduate Student Researchers
Research Projects
Bruce Berry
Bruce is in his second year of PhD study, and started with the Electro-Optics and Infrared Systems Group in January 2019. He is also employed by UCF as a Research Scientist with the Wave Propagation Research Group. He studies atmospheric turbulence as it relates to optical systems. He will soon be refurbishing a dual-aperture telescope tracking system. It will be used to explore the use of unique imaging modalities to obtain information beyond that of traditional imagers. Current concepts being investigated include multi-spectral approaches and techniques for three-dimensional imaging.
Derek Burrell
Derek Burrell is in his first year of PhD studies at CREOL, where he joined the Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems Group in January of 2019. He is currently working on active target tracking and phase compensation for beam-control applications. Specifically, he is addressing the issue of target-based speckle and its impact on overall sensing performance. Speckle is one of several critical limitations that must be overcome in order to operate in the deep-turbulence regime. His work is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory, Directed Energy Directorate under the SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program.
Steve Butrimas
Steve Butrimas has been a PhD student at CREOL since 2015. He has joined the Infrared systems and imaging group in Summer 2017 focusing on Mid Wave and Long Wave sensor analysis and comparison. His recent research endeavors has been atmospheric aerosol scattering and imaging performance for Mid Wave vs Long Wave sensors. Initial analysis has shown that with the advent of better resolution sensors, atmospheric scattering effects can be significant for different wavelengths altering imaging performance.
Glenn Goranson
Glenn Goranson is working toward his PhD In Electro-Optics at CREOL in the Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems group. He also holds the position of Electro-Optical Engineering Manager at
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in the advanced sensors directorate. His expertise includes infrared search and track (IRST) systems and LiDAR sensors (both coherent and direct detect). His PhD research is focused on MWIR and LWIR target detection. Specifically, he is addressing performance metrics, system analysis and unresolved airborne targets (e.g. drones). Mr. Goranson is evaluating optimal system configurations for various mission scenarios, and investigating the effect of post processing algorithms on performance.
Robert Grimming
Rob Grimming received his M.S. in Optics from CREOL in 2009 and returned in Fall 2018 to pursue his PhD. Now a retired U.S. Army Officer, Rob previously served as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Tech and Nuclear and Counter-proliferations Officer in addition to Assistant Professor of Physics at the United States Military Academy. Rob’s current research is in infrared imaging systems for applications in computer vision. In Spring 2019, he began an ARL project for developing LWIR based visual navigation for the next generation combat vehicle.
Jennifer Hewitt
Jennifer started her PhD at CREOL in Fall 2018, and is part of the Infrared Systems and Imaging group. She is conducting her research, with the support of IMEC Florida, in hyperspectral systems with applications in finding and identifying python snakes.
Robert Short
Robert Short is an Electrical Engineering PhD student at UCF, working in the Electro-Optical and Infrared Systems (EOIR) group. His primary research areas are infrared imaging system optimization and human performance modeling. His current research involves performance optimization of small pitch, deep well infrared systems.
