0.4 Project summary

With the projector camera, we attempted to image many different targets. These ranged from fruit to sheets of metal. The clearest images we took were of a "K" cut out of a sheet of metal. These images were our best because metal is a good reflector of NIR light, which meant we had a strong signal at the photodiode. Both a visible and an NIR image of this K are shown below.

With this project, we have made a start on the process of incorporating CS technology into a practical NIR camera. This type of camera requires only a single photodetector, which means it has the potential to be at least ten times ten times cheaper thancurrent systems on the market. From this project, we have observed that the two main challenges in creating such a camera are as follows:

• Achieving a high enough NIR signal after reflection off a target object, and
• Speeding mirror control to lower image capture time.

To give a broader perspective on what can be done with a good NIR camera, we conclude with a brief overview of potential application areas for a single-pixel NIR camera.

NIR imaging has a wide and expanding array of application areas. These include medical imaging, energy auditing, PCB fault analysis, food quality monitoring, and underdrawing imaging. For medical imaging, NIR tomography, when combined with MRI images, is useful for detecting breast tumors . In the energy auditing field, NIR cameras can determine which parts of a building are hot/cold greedy. This helps architects and construction crews to design and build more eco-friendly structures. In terms of PCB fault analysis, NIR imaging is used to pinpoint hot/cold elements on a chip, to spot current leakage . In the food quality realm, foods that require high-temperature cooking are candidates for NIR monitoring . In terms of underdrawing imaging, NIR cameras provide access to painter's planning sketches. This allows art collectors to verify the authenticity of works of art that they but, and gives scholars a chance to examine the old masters' creative processes.