Imaging

A Neuromorphic Exposure Control System to Revolutionize Machine Vision in Extreme Lighting Environments

A research team has recently developed a neuromorphic exposure control system that revolutionizes machine vision under extreme lighting variations.

This AI Can Tell You Your Food’s Nutritional Value

An AI system developed by NYU Tandon School of Engineering researchers promises a new tool for the millions of people who want to manage their weight, diabetes, and other diet-related health conditions.

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including Nikon Corporation's NEXIV VMF-K Series, a next-generation video measuring system; the surfaceCONTROL 3D snapshot sensors from Micro-Epsilon; InfraTec's INDU-SCAN base, a flexible and cost-effective thermography solution for use in industrial applications 24/7; Curtiss-Wright Actuation Division's Exlar® electric actuator product offerings; and more.

3 Robotic Technologies Looking to Change Life on Earth and the Moon

Watch this video to learn more about three new robotic technologies: A soft robot developed at NC State University; a pair of wearable robotic limbs developed by MIT engineers; and a camera inspired by the human eye developed at the University of Maryland.

7 Finalists for SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West 2025

Seven early-stage startup companies have been selected to compete for a top prize of $10,000 at the 15th annual SPIE Startup Challenge at Photonics West Tuesday, January 28.

New Product Launches and Technologies to See at Photonics West 2025

The SPIE Photonics West 2025 technical conference and exhibition returns to San Francisco's Moscone Center, January 25 to 30, providing attendees the opportunity to learn...

Smallest Walking Robot Makes Microscale Measurements

Cornell researchers in physics and engineering have created the smallest walking robot yet. Its mission: to be tiny enough to interact with waves of visible light and still move...

Integrating and Testing the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

In this video, we provide an overview of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope’s mission, capabilities and timeline to launch.

Videos of the Month

See the videos of month, including one on UW researchers developing a flexible, durable electronic prototype that can harvest energy from body heat and turn it into electricity that can be used to power small electronics; one on Purdue University researchers using both ultrasonic waves and X-ray CT to “see inside” manufactured objects nondestructively; one on Rotograb, a robotic hand that merges the dexterity of human hands with the strength and efficiency of industrial grippers; and more.

Camera Inspired by the Human Eye Can Improve How Robots See, React

A team led by University of Maryland computer scientists invented a camera mechanism that improves how robots see and react to the world around them. Inspired by how the human eye works, their innovative camera system mimics the tiny involuntary movements used by the eye to maintain clear and stable vision over time. Read on to learn more.

New Products

See the new products, including TRIOPTICS' compact and retrofittable solution for processing laser diodes on the ATS 100 alignment turning station; TRUMPF's VCSELs and photodiodes; Edmund Optics’ TECHSPEC® UV Fused Silica Plano-Convex (PCX) Lenses MgF2 Coated feature precision specifications; Imperx' two new Cheetah cameras: the CXP-C1941 and the SFP-C1941; and more.

A Methodology to Read QR Codes on Uneven Surfaces

A team from the University of Barcelona and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya has designed a methodology that facilitates the recognition of QR codes in these physical environments, where reading is more complicated. Read on to learn more.

Ultra-Compact Camera Technology Optimized for VR/AR Devices

Researchers have developed an optical design technology that dramatically reduces the volume of cameras with a folded lens system utilizing “metasurfaces,” a next-generation nano-optical device. Read on to learn more.

A New Method Makes High-Resolution Imaging More Accessible

Researchers have made it possible to expand tissue twentyfold in a single step. This simple, inexpensive method could pave the way for nearly any biology lab to perform nanoscale imaging. Read on to learn more.

On-Chip Spectral Imaging for Earth Observation

Today, companies are building small satellite constellations with tens to hundreds of units, far exceeding the scale of traditional space operations. Read on to learn more.

Product of the Month

Read about the product of the month, Synopsys' ImSym — Imaging System Simulator, a virtual prototyping platform for imaging systems, encompassing lenses, sensors, and image signal processors (ISPs).

New on the Market

See what's new on the market, including Nikon Metrology NV's Scatter Correction CT; Emerson's next-generation Rosemount™ 3490 Controller; Fischer Connectors' USB 3.2 connectors and cable assembly solutions; Renesas Electronics' R-Car Family of system-on-chips for entry-level Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS); and much more.

Can a Breakthrough in Photonic Time Crystals Change How We Use and Control Light?

An international research team has for the first time designed realistic photonic time crystals – exotic materials that exponentially amplify light. The...

Self-Propelled Nanorobots

The “nanoswimmers” could be used to remediate contaminated soil, improve water filtration, or even deliver drugs to targeted areas of the body.

Coating Hides Temperature Change from Infrared Cameras

If the outside of clothing or a vehicle were covered with the coating, an infrared camera would have a harder time distinguishing what is underneath. Read on to learn what this means.

Product Showcase

See what's in the product showcase, including VSD’s innovative SV-2000 Flex; Keysight Technologies' N7718C Optical Reference Transmitter; MKS Instruments' Newport™ TLS260B Tunable Light Sources; Analog Modules' Picosecond Pulsed Seed Laser Diode Driver, Model 766A; and more.

New Computer Vision-Based System Monitors Seasonal Dynamics of Tropical Water

Researchers have developed a new way to map water on land in the tropics. Called the UC Berkeley Random Walk Algorithm WaterMask, this advanced monitoring technology uses L-band microwaves from the Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System to “see” water hidden beneath visual barriers, like tree canopies and clouds. Read on to learn more.

New Technology Uses Light to Engrave Erasable 3D Images

Imagine if physicians could capture 3D projections of medical scans, suspending them inside an acrylic cube to create a hand-held reproduction of a patient’s heart, brain, kidneys, or other organs. Then, when the visit is done, a quick blast of heat erases the projection, and the cube is ready for the next scan. A new report by researchers at Dartmouth and Southern Methodist University outlines a technical breakthrough that could enable such scenarios, and others, with widespread utility. Read on to learn more.

Seeing Like a Butterfly: Optical Invention Enhances Camera Capabilities

Butterflies can see more of the world than humans, including more colors and the field oscillation direction, or polarization, of light. Other species, like the mantis shrimp, can sense an even wider spectrum of light, as well as the circular polarization, or spinning states, of light waves. Inspired by these abilities in the animal kingdom, researchers have developed an ultrathin optical element known as a metasurface, which can attach to a conventional camera and encode the spectral and polarization data of images captured in a snapshot or video through tiny, antenna-like nano-structures that tailor light properties.

New Ultrafast Imaging Technique Provides Insight into Combustion Processes

A team of scientists has developed an ultrafast imaging technique, called femtosecond laser sheet-compressed ultrafast photography, that can compile videos of incredibly transient details. Read on to learn more about it.

Designing the Next Generation of Event-Based Sensing and Vision for Edge Applications

Event-based sensing enables new approaches to machine learning. An object recognition or detection algorithm that, until now, could only use the spatial information from a frame can now access another dimension: time. Read on to learn more.

Test Your Knowledge of Machine Vision

Machine vision is the technology, software, hardware, integrated systems, actions, methods, and expertise used to provide imaging-based automatic inspection and analysis. How much do you know about machine vision? Find out with this quiz.