Intevac to develop low light camera tech

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- The U.S. government has contracted Intevac Inc. to develop low-light-level sensor and camera technologies to support military applications.

U.S. company Intevac says its Photonics subsidiary was awarded the contract. Under the $7 million award, Intevac Photonics will develop a 4 megapixel sensor and camera system to operate in low-light environments.

Officials says the sensor and camera development will be based on the company's Electron Bombarded Active Pixel Sensor design and is expected to be ready to support military applications beginning in 2011.

"We are very pleased to receive this award for the development of a 4 megapixel EBAPS sensor and associated camera," Joe Pietras, Intevac Photonics executive vice president and general manager, said in a statement.

"This sensor will expand our family of digital EBAPS sensors into larger formats, extending Intevac's position as the leading supplier of extreme low light level digital sensors required for U.S. military applications."