Obsidian Sensors intends to move away from the semiconductor industry’s standard, high-cost silicon wafer fabrication. Instead, the company utilizes its Large Area MEMS Platform (LAMP), which processes sensors on glass substrates twenty times larger than conventional 8-inch wafers. By operating within standard flat-panel display factories, Obsidian gains access to the throughput and economies of scale typical of consumer electronics manufacturing.
Obsidian Sensors Lands U.S. Army Contract to Slash Thermal Camera Costs
The U.S. Army has tapped San Diego-based Obsidian Sensors for its DUTCH Initiative, aiming to overhaul thermal imaging production. Through an SBIR Phase III award, the company will leverage its proprietary glass-panel manufacturing process to deliver high-resolution sensors at the attritable price points required for modern drone warfare.
This shift is central to the Army’s Delivering Unmatched Thermal Capability Hastened (DUTCH) project, which seeks to equip defense platforms with high-performance optics without the restrictive costs of legacy systems. CEO John Hong noted that while performance has improved over the last three decades, production methods remained locked in expensive cycles. Obsidian currently ships VGA-resolution cameras for the Drone Dominance program and plans to introduce SVGA resolution by the end of this year, with SXGA following in 2027. COO Tallis Chang emphasized that the company’s new San Diego packaging factory will be key to establishing these lower price points as the new industry standard.
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