Abstract
Here, we report, for what we believe to be the first time, on the modification of a low cost sensor, designed for the smartphone camera market, to develop an ultraviolet (UV) camera system. This was achieved via adaptation of Raspberry Pi cameras, which are based on back-illuminated complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensors, and we demonstrated the utility of these devices for applications at wavelengths as low as 310 nm, by remotely sensing power station smokestack emissions in this spectral region. Given the very low cost of these units, ≈ USD 25, they are suitable for widespread proliferation in a variety of UV imaging applications, e.g., in atmospheric science, volcanology, forensics and surface smoothness measurements.
Highlights
Ultraviolet (UV) imaging has a wide variety of scientific, industrial and medical applications, for instance in forensics [1], industrial fault inspection [2], astronomy, monitoring skin conditions [3]and in remote sensing [4,5]
Sulphurdioxide dioxidehas hasstrong strong absorption bands between which exploited in a range atmospheric remote sensing of this species, using differential been exploited in aofrange of atmospheric remotemeasurements sensing measurements of this species, using differential opticalspectroscopy absorption spectroscopy and UV
We show that by modification of Raspberry Pi camera sensors, and rebuilding of the systems, camera boards as cheap as can be adapted to applications down to wavelengths systems, camera boards as cheap as ≈ USD 25 can be adapted to applications down to wavelengths of of least at least potential utility of such devices inimaging was illustrated at nm.nm
Summary
Ultraviolet (UV) imaging has a wide variety of scientific, industrial and medical applications, for instance in forensics [1], industrial fault inspection [2], astronomy, monitoring skin conditions [3]. Scientific grade UV cameras, which have elevated quantum efficiencies in this spectral region, have been applied in this context These systems are relatively expensive (typical unit costs thousands of dollars) and can be power intensive, since they may incorporate thermo-electric cooling. The PiCam lens and filter, housed above the sensor within a plastic casing both absorb signal, and were removed as a first step to developing the camera. A clear-sky image taken with a partially de-Bayered unit, 310 nm filter and with a shutter speed of 400 ms, exhibits an increase of ≈ 600% in a de-Bayered region captured through a 310 nm filter and with a shutter speed of 400 ms, exhibits an increase of ≈ 600% in relative to the unmodified section of the sensor.
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