Smart Optical Sensors Team

The Smart Optical Sensors (SOS) Team is pioneering new ways to understand and manage wildfires through advanced optical sensing technologies. We develop intelligent, field-ready instruments that help researchers and fire managers better assess fuel conditions, monitor smoke aerosols, and analyze thermal emissions—critical components in predicting fire behavior and mitigating its impacts. We design and deploy ground-based and unmanned aerial system (UAS)-based optical sensors that use onboard computing and AI/ML algorithms to deliver high-resolution, real-time data. These sensors are tailored to answer key questions across the SMART FIRES research thrusts.

What are some of our innovations?

• Smart Unoccupied System Hyperspectral Imager (SUSHI)
  Captures detailed spectral data to identify vegetation types and fuel inventories.
• Thermal UAS Imager (TUI)
  Maps heat signatures to assess fire energetics and fuel consumption.
• Diode Laser High-Spectral-Resolution Lidar (HSRL)
  Measures aerosol properties with precision to improve smoke modeling.
• All-Sky Polarization Imager (ASPI) and Multi-wavelength Solar Radiometer
  Characterize smoke plumes and atmospheric conditions during and after fires.
• Ground-based sensors on autonomous vehicles
  Extend sensing capabilities beneath forest canopies for comprehensive fuel mapping.

Who is on our team?

• Joseph Shaw (Montana State University [MSU], Lead)
• Kevin Repasky (MSU)
• Ross Snider (MSU)
• Timothy Price (Flathead Valley Community College)
• 4 graduate students
• 8 undergraduate students

Together, we blend expertise in optics, engineering, computing, and field deployment to create sensors that are both smart and rugged.

Why is our research important?

Timely, high-quality data is essential for responding to wildfires and planning and managing prescribed burns effectively. 

Our sensors:

• Enable real-time fuel and smoke analysis during prescribed burns and wildfires
• Support cross-project collaboration through shared aerosol databases
• Provide critical thesis data for graduate students and hands-on experience for undergraduates
• Contribute to new commercial products in partnership with industry leaders like Resonon
• Help identify tree species from leaf spectra, aiding ecological assessments

What are some recent project highlights?

• Successful field deployments with University of Arizona and other partners.
• Continuous operation of HSRL for aerosol monitoring
• Real-world training for students at Flathead Valley Community College
• First MSU Optics & Photonics graduate hired by a European photonics company’s Montana office
• Input into team-wide cyberinfrastructure tools, including a data lake prototype