Camera Window Research Articles

Highly transparent and highly hydrophobic coating for outdoor camera window glass: Fabrication, transparency, and hydrophobicity

Highly transparent, superhydrophobic coatings are highly desirable for maintaining long-lasting clarity for outdoor camera windows. In this study, the authors present a simple approach to create a wide–range anti-reflective and highly hydrophobic layer on a glass surface. This is accomplished through a hydrothermal alkali etching process combined with a dip-coating process using 1 H, 1 H, 2 H, 2 H-Perfluorooctyltrimethoxysilane (POTS). The sample, etched for 20 h and modified by POTS, exhibiting an average transmittance of 96.5 %, a water contact angle (WCA) of 140° and a sliding angle (SA) of 40°. The results of the water spray experiment indicate this surface exhibits excellent water repellent performance, preventing water droplets larger than 0.01 mm in size. The relationship between optical transmittance and etching depth was thoroughly studied, revealing that an etched depth ranging from 200 nm to 600 nm yields optimal wide-spectrum anti-reflective properties. Furthermore, the influence of surface roughness on apparent WCA and SA was investigated. It was found that root mean square (RMS) roughness can be an effective factor to predict the apparent WCA of a surface, while both the RMS roughness and morphological structure affect the SA.

Optical properties of Se-doped ZnO nanocrystalline thin films deposition by thermionic vacuum arc system

In this paper, the deposition of Se-doped ZnO nanocrystalline thin films onto glass and Si substrates was carried out using a thermionic vacuum arc deposition system. The band gap value of the Se-doped ZnO nanocrystalline thin film was determined as to be 3.1 eV. The crystallite size of the film deposited onto the Si substrate is approximately twice as large as that of the film deposited onto the glass substrate. A nano wrinkled network was observed in the film deposited onto a Si substrate was observed. The Zn/Se ratio of the films were determined to be 0.494 and 0.303 for the films deposited on glass and Si substrates, respectively. The transmittance value of the film on the Si substrate was nearly measured to be nearly 100 % in the wavelength range from 2.5 μm to 25 μm. Finally, Se- doped ZnO is a promising materials for the optical windows and thermal camera windows.

Novel developments of refractive power measurement techniques in the automotive world

Refractive power measurements serve as the primary quality standard in the automotive glazing industry. In the light of autonomous driving new optical metrics are becoming more and more popular for specifying optical quality requirements for the windshield. Nevertheless, the link between those quantities and the refractive power needs to be established in order to ensure a holistic requirement profile for the windshield. As a consequence, traceable high-resolution refractive power measurements are still required for the glass quality assessment. Standard measurement systems using Moiré patterns for refractive power monitoring in the automotive industry are highly resolution limited, wherefore they are insufficient for evaluating the camera window area. Consequently, there is a need for more sophisticated refractive power measurement systems that provide a higher spatial resolution. In addition, a calibration procedure has to be developed in order to guarantee for the comparability of the measurement results. For increasing the resolution, a measurement setup based on an auto-correlation algorithm is tested in this paper. In order to benchmark the proposed high-resolution refractive power measurement technique, a novel laser-based setup has been realized in the Volkswagen Laser Laboratory as a reference method tuned for high-accuracy measurements. Furthermore, a calibration procedure is established by using a single reference lens with a nominal refractive power of . For the calibration of the entire measurement range of the system, the lens is tilted by an inclination angle orthogonal to the optical axis. The effective refractive power is then given by the Kerkhof model. By adopting the measurement and calibration procedure presented in this paper, glass suppliers in the automotive industry will be able to detect relevant manufacturing defects within the camera window area more accurately paving the way for a holistic quality assurance of the windshield for future advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) functionalities. Concurrently, the traceability of the measurement results is ensured by establishing a calibration chain based on a single reference lens, which is traced back to international standards.

Dynamic optical spectroscopy and pyrometry of static targets under optical and x-ray laser heating at the European XFEL

Experiments accessing extreme conditions at x-ray free electron lasers (XFELs) involve rapidly evolving conditions of temperature. Here, we report time-resolved, direct measurements of temperature using spectral streaked optical pyrometry of x-ray and optical laser-heated states at the High Energy Density instrument of the European XFEL. This collection of typical experiments, coupled with numerical models, outlines the reliability, precision, and meaning of time dependent temperature measurements using optical emission at XFEL sources. Dynamic temperatures above 1500 K are measured continuously from spectrally- and temporally-resolved thermal emission at 450–850 nm, with time resolution down to 10–100 ns for 1–200 μs streak camera windows, using single shot and integrated modes. Targets include zero-pressure foils free-standing in air and in vacuo, and high-pressure samples compressed in diamond anvil cell multi-layer targets. Radiation sources used are 20-fs hard x-ray laser pulses at 17.8 keV, in single pulses or 2.26 MHz pulse trains of up to 30 pulses, and 250-ns infrared laser single pulses. A range of further possibilities for optical measurements of visible light in x-ray laser experiments using streak optical spectroscopy are also explored, including for the study of x-ray induced optical fluorescence, which often appears as background in thermal radiation measurements. We establish several scenarios where combined emissions from multiple sources are observed and discuss their interpretation. Challenges posed by using x-ray lasers as non-invasive probes of the sample state are addressed.

High-speed cleaving of glass and polymers using ultrafast fiber laser

Glass cleaving by Bessel-like beams is one of the leading techniques providing high processing throughput and high edge quality. With the possibility to apply it to different transparent materials, this method has great potential in the high-volume production of flat panel displays, camera windows, medical devices, and others. The principle of glass cleaving is the controlled weakening of a hard transparent material by the induction of microcracks along a tight, elongated focus. These microcracks are oriented in a predefined, constant direction, limiting the flexibility of round shape fabrication. In contrast to dynamic beam manipulation techniques, the regime of direction-independent cutting was achieved through proper temporal pulse shaping. The setup does not consist of any active components in the beam path. The obtained quality and process speed are comparable with other, more complex laser cleaving techniques. Additionally, the successful cutting of polymers is presented, which are difficult to separate by the Bessel beam due to the limited possibility of microcrack generation.

Eye Camera Window: Takashi Homma on Le Corbusier

A new exhibition at the Canadian Centre for Architecture (Montreal, QC), Eye Camera Window: Takashi Homma on Le Corbusier, investigates the practice of Japanese architectural photographer Takashi Homma (1962) and his exploration of the intrinsic similarities between windows and cameras in the way they mediate an experience, be it in a modernist dwelling or in a photograph recalling a memory. Homma’s photographs focus attention on the ‘eye’, the ‘camera’, and the ‘window’ in the way they shape perspective in intimate form. In a visual interpretation that uses the camera lens as an eye to witness new forms, Homma advances an argument of timelessness, providing intimate architectural perspectives on eternal vistas.

Spectrophotometric properties of materials observed by Pancam on the Mars Exploration Rovers: 4. Final mission observations

The last sets of Panoramic Camera (Pancam) visible/near-infrared (432–1009 nm) multispectral observations made under varying viewing and illumination geometries by the Mars Exploration Rovers Spirit and Opportunity were examined using radiative transfer models to study the surface scattering and microphysical nature of rock and soil units at both sites. Nearly 12,000 individual measurements were collected for this study of soil, dust, and rock units over phase angles of ~0° to ~150°. Images were acquired on sols 1944–1946 (June 2009) at Troy, the final resting place of Spirit on the western side of Home Plate in Gusev crater, and by Opportunity at three locations on the western rim of Endeavour crater in Meridiani Planum between sols 2785 (November 2011) and 3867 (December 2014). Sky models were developed from observations of atmospheric opacity, which enabled corrections for diffuse skylight when combined with surface facet orientations determined from stereo images. Model results were improved by removing data affected by scattered light evident in some high phase angle images (resulting from minor dust contamination on the camera windows). At Troy, relatively dust-free “gray” rock units exhibited narrow, forward scattering behaviors akin to previous analyses of similar gray rock units at Gusev crater. Soils and “red” rocks coated with greater amounts of dust were more backscattering. Red rocks exhibited higher single scattering albedo (w), macroscopic roughness (θ), and opposition effect width (h) parameters, indicative of rough, low-porosity surfaces perhaps with more uniform grain size distributions. At Meridiani Planum, rubbly soils near São Gabriel crater and Cape Tribulation exhibited w values typical of previous soil analyses. However, the large drift “dust” deposits found in depressions on the northern tip of Cape York near Turkey Haven demonstrated elevated w values with a downturn toward 1009 nm, consistent with minor hydration of these materials. The dust deposits were modeled with the lowest θ values and highest h values of all soil units analyzed during the Opportunity mission, indicative of a smooth surface with homogeneous grain size distribution and/or lower porosity than other units. The dust unit scattering function was dissimilar to those for atmospheric and airfall-deposited dusts, however, suggesting that the originally deposited materials had been modified, perhaps by hydration and ongoing aeolian effects. Analyses of phase curve ratios among the units studied here and from laboratory data of analog soils suggested that surface scattering is a major control on the peak phase angle position of the “arch” in phase curve ratios, alongside the effects of particle-scale roughness.

Unsteady pressure estimation and compensation capabilities of the hybrid simulation combining PIV and DNS

The hybrid unsteady-flow simulation, which has been developed to assimilate the Navier–Stokes simulation into a time-resolved particle image velocimetry (PIV) field by synchronizing the frame rate with the direct-numerical-simulation time step, can simultaneously produce an unsteady pressure field. The hybrid process typically introduces a ‘patch function’, which transplants the PIV fields inside the camera window into a larger computational domain. This study evaluates the pressure fields produced by the hybrid simulation inside the patch function (i.e. estimation) and outside of it (i.e. compensation). We take time-resolved planar PIV data of a separated flow past the NACA 0012 airfoil at an angle of attack of 30° in a water tunnel as an example. First, an unsteady pressure field produced from the hybrid simulation is compared with other existing pressure-estimation methods in two dimensions over the entire domain of the camera window. The results of the two-dimensional (2D) hybrid simulation are found to agree best with those of the sequential-integration method with much lower noise levels in time and space. Next, the domain of the forcing is reduced by truncating the patch function in the hybrid simulation, and the pressure fields in the missing parts of the patch function are compared with those solved using the full patch function. When at least the regions in which 2D vortical structures collapse are included in the patch function downstream, the rest of the pressure fields can be compensated for relatively well. In contrast, the forces acting on the airfoil can be estimated accurately only if it is enclosed by the camera window.

A Real-Time IR-Fusion Switchgear Contact Monitoring System (SCMS)

In this paper, a real-time monitoring system for switchgear contacts (switchgear contact monitoring system) with continuous thermal monitoring is presented instead of infrequent scanning with a handheld infrared (IR) camera or IR window. Attention is focused on medium- and low-voltage switchgear contacts due to the importance of their thermal behaviors in the power system. A binocular IR camera (BIRC), whose size is only 3 cm $\times3$ cm $\times4$ cm, is installed near switchgear contacts and collects both visible-light images and IR array data of switchgear contacts. The BIRC is powered by a remote Power over Ethernet switch connected to it using one cable. At the same time, all data transmitted from the BIRC to the remote-control unit are provided by the same cable. To detect localized thermal conditions or hotspots within switchgear contacts, the IR-fusion module fuses temperature array data and image data collected by the BIRC and produces an IR-fusion image. The system design and laboratory test results are presented.

A new methodology for monitoring wood fluxes in rivers using a ground camera: Potential and limits

Ground imagery, which produces large amounts of valuable data at high frequencies, is increasingly used by fluvial geomorphologists to survey and understand processes. While such technology provides immense quantities of information, it can be challenging to analyze and requires automatization and associated development of new methodologies. This paper presents a new approach to automate the processing of image analysis to monitor wood delivery from the upstream Rhône River (France). The Génissiat dam is used as an observation window; all pieces of wood coming from the catchment are trapped here, hence a wood raft accumulates over time. In 2011, we installed an Axis 211W camera to acquire oblique images of the reservoir every 10min with the goal of automatically detecting a wood raft area, in order to transform it to wood weight (t) and flux (t/d). The methodology we developed is based on random forest classification to detect the wood raft surface over time, which provided a good classification rate of 97.2%. Based on 14 mechanical wood extractions that included weight of wood removed each time, conducted during the survey period, we established a relationship between wood weight and wood raft surface area observed just before the extraction (R2=0.93). We found that using such techniques to continuously monitor wood flux is difficult because the raft undergoes very significant changes through time in terms of density, with a very high interday and intraday variability. Misclassifications caused by changes in weather conditions can be mitigated as well as errors from variation in pixel resolution (owing to camera position or window size), but a set of effects on raft density and mobility must still be explored (e.g., dam operation effects, wind on the reservoir surface). At this stage, only peak flow contribution to wood delivery can be well calculated, but determining an accurate, continuous series of wood flux is not possible. Several recommendations are made in terms of maximizing the potential benefit of such monitoring.

Mobile용 Camera Window의 공정 개선에 관한 연구

The glass used for Mobile Camera Window is required to have high strength. Cell type manufacturing by means of CNC is widely used for camera window. Individual loading and unloading is needed for each process, such as painting and PVD, in cell type manufacturing. The purpose of this study is to search the enhanced manufacturing process with sheet type throughout bulk unit production in painting and PVD. This study includes sheet type manufacturing processes such as laser cutting, wet etching, 2nd tempering, printing, and AF/AR coating.

Dust aerosol, clouds, and the atmospheric optical depth record over 5 Mars years of the Mars Exploration Rover mission

Dust aerosol plays a fundamental role in the behavior and evolution of the martian atmosphere. The first five Mars years of Mars Exploration Rover data provide an unprecedented record of the dust load at two sites. This record is useful for characterization of the atmosphere at the sites and as ground truth for orbital observations. Atmospheric extinction optical depths have been derived from solar images after calibration and correction for time-varying dust that has accumulated on the camera windows. The record includes local, regional, and globally extensive dust storms. Comparison with contemporaneous thermal infrared data suggests significant variation in the size of the dust aerosols, with a 1μm effective radius during northern summer and a 2μm effective radius at the onset of a dust lifting event. The solar longitude (LS) 20–136° period is also characterized by the presence of cirriform clouds at the Opportunity site, especially near LS=50° and 115°. In addition to water ice clouds, a water ice haze may also be present, and carbon dioxide clouds may be present early in the season. Variations in dust opacity are important to the energy balance of each site, and work with seasonal variations in insolation to control dust devil frequency at the Spirit site.

Optimization of a Paper-Based ELISA for a Human Performance Biomarker

Monitoring aspects of human performance during various activities has recently become a highly investigated research area. Many new commercial products are available now to monitor human physical activity or responses while performing activities ranging from playing sports, to driving, and even sleeping. However, monitoring cognitive performance biomarkers, such as neuropeptides, is still an emerging field due to the complicated sample collection and processing, as well as the need for a clinical lab to perform analysis. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) provide specific detection of biomolecules with high sensitivity (picomolar concentrations). Even with the advantage of high sensitivity, most ELISAs need to be performed in a laboratory setting and require around 6 h to complete. Transitioning this assay to a platform where it reduces cost, shortens assay time, and is able to be performed outside a lab is invaluable. Recently developed paper diagnostics provide an inexpensive platform on which to perform ELISAs; however, the major limiting factor for moving out of the laboratory environment is the measurement and analysis instrumentation. Using something as simple as a digital camera or camera-enabled Windows- or Android-based tablets, we are able to image paper-based ELISAs (P-ELISAs), perform image analysis, and produce response curves with high correlation to target biomolecule concentration in the 10 pM range. Neuropeptide Y detection was performed. Additionally, silver enhancement of Au NPs conjugated with IgG antibodies showed a concentration-dependent response to IgG, thus eliminating the need for an enzyme-substrate system. Automated image analysis and quantification of antigen concentrations are able to be performed on Windows- and Android-based mobile platforms.

Design of pollution preventing system for camera window

This research is focused on the development of a window protection system to prevent pollution of a glass, mirror, or camera lens. For this, a new method for efficient pollution prevention was designed and the characteristic evaluation for developing the system was partly performed. Formerly, the method of using an air purge was generally used for preventing pollution of a camera window. However, the conventional method often induces contaminations due to back flow of air purging. These pollutants can do crucial damage to the camera window and peripheral materials especially in clean room condition. And the conventional method always requires an air supply; therefore, it is difficult to apply the method where an air source cannot be supplied such as a traveling crane located at mountain altitudes. Moreover, the frequent air purging operation or maintenance-personnel intervention causes window surface damage. To solve the above-mentioned problem, an efficient concept for preventing such pollution is proposed in this research. Without air purging, we proposed a new method using repulsion induced by electrifying dirt or moisture to positive magnetic force with high-voltage charge and then injecting gas to the ITO (Indium Tin Oxide) coated window for generating positive ion. In support of the superiority of the designed method for pollution prevention of a window, key factors for permeability and photographing test were defined and partly evaluated as compared with the conventional method. To sum up, in this research, we aim to develop an efficient pollution preventing system for a camera window based on a new method through characteristic evaluation and stabilization of the designed system.

A New Method and Characterization for Pollution Preventing of Camera Window

This research is focused on the development of protecting system for window. In detail, we tried to develop pollution preventing system of a glass, mirror, or camera lens. For this, the new method for efficient pollution prevention was designed and the characteristic evaluation for developing the system is partly performed. Formerly, the method using air purge is generally used for preventing the pollution of camera window. However, the conventional method often induces contaminations due to back flow of air purging. These pollutants can be crucial damage to the camera window and peripheral materials especially in clean room condition. And the conventional method always requires air supply, therefore it is difficult to apply the method where air source can not be supplied such as traveling crane located at mountain altitudes. To solve above mentioned the problem, the efficient concept for preventing pollution of camera window is proposed in this research. Without air purging, we proposed the new method using repulsion induced by electrifying dirty or moisture to positive magnetic force with high-voltage charge and then injecting gas to the ITO(Indium Tin Oxide) coating window for generating positive ion. To sum up, in this research, we aim to develop an efficient pollution preventing system for camera window based on the new method through characteristic evaluation and stabilization of the designed system.

Анализ физических моделей влияния иллюминатора криогенной экспериментальной камеры на деформацию волнового фронта

Анализ физических моделей влияния иллюминатора криогенной экспериментальной камеры на деформацию волнового фронта

New Products

AMI (Affiliated Manufacturers, Inc.) has introduced a new manual vision system for alignment of printed circuit boards to screens or stencils on semi‐automatic screen printers. The u‐Lign™ III allows the operator to select any one of four different alignment methods when setting up for fine pitch solder paste printing. It is even possible to use different strategies in each camera window to accommodate different features at the same time. Alignment is not limited to using fiducial marks or straight edged pads, as virtually any part of a circuit pattern or repeated board markings can be used to achieve precise alignment on every board.

Video programs and technology

A fiberoptic window — a bundle of 6-micrometer diameter fibers — lets a charge-coupled device camera from EG&G Reticon, Sunnyvale, Calif., process images of objects as much as 270 meters away. The MC9128 camera's window conducts light transmitted by the fiberoptic cable onto a 128-by-128-picture-element sensor area [above].

Effects Of Internal-Compartment Turbulence On Camera Optical Performance

Thermo-optical tests were undertaken to evaluate optical effects of aircraft internal-compartment air turbulence. The turbulence sources affecting camera performance included a cold vertical vehicle window and an oscillating camera tube. A mock-up of the camera tube, compartment, and window was fabricated and interferometric data taken under simulated flight airflow and temperature conditions. Test results were initially obtained separately with a heated tube and with a simulated cold vehicle window. Test results of the combined turbulence sources indicated an rms wavefront error due to turbu-lence effects controllable in the range of 0.054 A and 0.071 A at 0.6328 um, depending on vehicle window temperature levels and compartment airflow conditions.

A large interferometer for the examination of aircraft camera windows

This paper describes a modified Fizeau interferoscope which has been developed for testing aircraft camera windows measuring up to 60 cm in diameter. Relatively cheap components are used for the large collimating lens and reference flats, and a small holographic optical element corrects for the residual errors of form.