Compact all-weather electromagnetic imaging system

The system (10) includes a first mechanism (12) for receiving electromagnetic energy of a first wavelength from the scene (28) and providing electromagnetic energy of a second wavelength shorter than the first wavelength. A second mechanism (14) measures variations of the electromagnetic energy of the second wavelength over a predetermined area. The system is a millimeter wave imaging system (10). The first mechanism (12) includes a lens (12) having an index of refraction substantially greater than 1. The lens (12) is opaque to infrared electromagnetic energy and made of alumina, plastic, or other material having a relatively high index of refraction. The second mechanism (24) includes and array of bolometers (24) positioned parallel to an output aperture (24) of the lens and within a distance of the output aperture (24) that is much smaller than the second wavelength. A video controller (16), a computer (18), process video signals output from the array of bolometers (14) to yield an image, which is displayed on a display (20).