Past Winner
2018 NSERC Synergy Awards for Innovation

Paul Charette and his team are “sharing their vision with the masses.” The Université de Sherbrooke researcher led a team of members from Université de Sherbrooke and Polytechnique Montréal that collaborated with industry partner Teledyne DALSA to create the world’s first high-resolution infrared camera for non-military use. Their groundbreaking technology provides for the first time an important and affordable infrared vision tool for industries and civilians looking to enhance night time vision, safety and monitoring capabilities. The team faced significant challenges in terms of microfabrication materials and processes to greatly lower production costs without sacrificing performance. Their efforts paid off: the team’s partner, Teledyne DALSA, became the only company in the world to market a high-resolution thermal camera serving the needs of a large and eager consumer base. Thanks to their collaboration, individuals and businesses now have an affordable high-performance night vision tool for autonomous driving, surveying environmental changes, monitoring energy efficiency of heavy equipment and detecting forest fires.