With the widespread application of infrared imaging guidance technology in various offensive and defensive precision guided weapons, infrared imaging guidance hardware-in-the-loop simulation technology has undergone rapid development. Missile flight tests in the laboratory can significantly reduce the outfield testing cost. This reflects the importance of developing hardware-in-the-loop simulation test systems for infrared imaging guidance. Infrared imaging scene projection technology is one of the key technologies in infrared imaging guidance of hardware-in-the-loop simulation technologies. Infrared scene projection systems are mainly employed to replicate various types of optical targets, backgrounds, and optical environment interference in different infrared bands. Nowadays, optical detection systems are complex, multi-spectral, and high-resolution with high frame rate, high dynamic range, and even scene-sensitive systems containing distance information. The main sensors include missile seeker, forward looking infrared system (FLIR), target tracking device, and automatic target recognition device. Although infrared scene projection technology has made significant progress in recent years, the current infrared scene projection technology still cannot meet the performance requirements of testing these complex optical detection systems. It is necessary to study complex infrared scene projection systems for different optical detection applications.

Multi-spectral complex infrared scene projection technology is the key technology to infrared imaging guidance of hardware-in-the-loop simulation system technology, and its technical characteristics limit the overall performance of the entire simulation system. The technical approaches to multi-spectral complex infrared scene projection mainly include resistor array, photothermal image conversion array, digital micro-mirror device (DMD), liquid crystal spatial light modulator, infrared LED array, phase change material array, tunable emissivity semiconductor screen, quantum dot down-conversion chip, photoluminescent phosphor material, and photonic crystal. We review the development history of multi-spectral complex infrared scene projection technology, introduce the implementation principles of typical technologies, discuss the relative advantages and disadvantages of each technology, and summarize the research of major research institutions at home and abroad. Finally, the performance parameters of these technologies are compared.

According to the mechanism of infrared scene projection, the current infrared scene projection systems are divided into two categories of radiation type and modulation type. Radiation type includes resistor array and photothermal image conversion array. Modulation type includes DMD and liquid crystal spatial light modulator. Other infrared scene projection technologies are also introduced, such as infrared LED array, phase change material array, tunable emissivity semiconductor screen, quantum dot down-conversion chip, photoluminescent phosphor material, and photonic crystal. Resistor array and photothermal image conversion array can provide both mid-infrared and long-infrared scenes. DMD and infrared LED arrays can only generate mid-infrared scenes, but they achieve a frame rate beyond 200 Hz.

Some of the infrared scene projection devices discussed in this paper have been employed in hardware-in-the-loop simulation test systems, and some are under development. Resistor arrays of the SBIR company, DMD of TI company, and the infrared LED array from the University of Delaware have been applied in hardware-in-the-loop simulation test systems. The technologies developed domestically based on resistor arrays, photothermal image conversion arrays, DMD, and other devices have also been adopted in hardware-in-the-loop simulation test systems for testing infrared systems. The various technologies discussed in this paper have shown their characteristics, which can provide most of the functions in current optical guidance hardware-in-the-loop simulation experiments. This study can serve as a reference during selecting solutions for specific applications to detect infrared systems.