Multispectral cameras capture image data at specific frequencies across the electromagnetic spectrum. The wavelengths may be separated by filters or by using instruments which are sensitive only to specific wavelengths. This includes visible light, as well as frequencies beyond such as infrared. Spectral imaging provides the ability to extract additional information which the human eye or standard industrial vision cameras fail to capture.
Multispectral imaging can consist of spectral bands that are discretely positioned from each other and do not need to be continuous, such as two and in the visible i.e. red and blue, a third band in the Near-IR region and a fourth band in the Short Wave Infrared (SWIR). Both area scan and line scan options are available making this imaging technique very flexible and able to cover many applications.
These two concepts are often assumed to be the same but, in fact, are rather different… Multispectral Imaging uses distinct bands throughout the electromagnetic spectrum, whereas Hyperspectral Imaging uses continuous and contiguous wavelengths, for example 400-1100nm, in steps of 1nm.
Courtesy of JAI
JAI’s Fusion Series of multispectral prism cameras provide simultaneous images of multiple wavebands through a single optical path. The cameras split incoming light into two or three separate sensors with precise pixel-to-pixel alignment regardless of motion or viewing angle.
If you are a vision system designer with a project that needs multispectral imaging capability, this free webinar can help you decide whether a prism-based multispectral camera is the right approach. There are several different types of multispectral cameras currently available and the one you select can have a major impact on your project’s success.
Complex metrology and imaging applications are beginning to demand higher numbers of spectral channels or possibilities. High-fidelity colour and multispectral imaging are playing key roles in industrial quality control.
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