A hyperspectral camera solution was developed by Imec based on a system-on-chip image sensor with an integrated hyperspectral sensor.
It is rapid, compact, and economic having extensive application over multiple industrial vision solutions. This innovative product was exhibited at SPIE Photonics West 2012.
Both imaging and spectroscopy technologies have been integrated by hyperspectral cameras. This combined technology benefits several application categories including target detection, skin cancer detection, crop screening, food selection and many more. The existing hyperspectral cameras are however complex and time-consuming, having limited application. The novel hyperspectral imaging is being improved with Imec’s chip-based technology.
The SPIE Photonics West 2012 was embellished with Imec’s fully integrated CMOS compatible hyperspectral sensor including its collection of spectral filters integrated with the CMOSIS CMV4000 image sensor. Imec’s hyperspectral filter includes 100 spectral bands ranging between 560 nm and 1000 nm. The filters have 85% transmission efficiency with its bandwidth ranging from 3 nm at 560 nm to 20 nm at 1000 nm. Under halogen light illumination of 450 W, the typical integration times in the current prototype setup ranges from 2-10 Ms, facilitating maximal frame rates of up to 500 fps.
Imec’s solutions, with its high spectral filter efficiency and integrated filter design are capable of achieving scanning speeds that comply with real industrial requirements. The prototype system represented an equivalent speed of 2,000 LPS, surpassing all the other hyperspectral sensors. Imec’s technology enables several industrial vision applications. Based on the requirements, a custom-designed sensor or a commercially available sensor can be opted. Furthermore, several modifications can be done with hyperspectral filter by altering its spectral resolution and the number of spectral bands.
Source: http://www.imec.be/