Adaptive HELIOS® Uniform Source with Filter Wheels
From: Labsphere
Posted On: 24 Jun 2024
HELIOS Plus Uniform Sources for Camera and Imager Calibration and Correction Offering radiance and luminance output to meet your multispectral and hyperspectral imaging needs. A wide array of spectral options covering the UV-VIS-NIR-SWIR-MWIR-IR are available to fit your specific requirements.
Technical Challenge
A client needed to perform important calibrations on a hyperspectral sensor they were developing to be used in satellites and drones to detect anomalies a standard camera couldn’t. In addition to standard white-light testing, they intended to perform other specific tests using NIST-calibrated absorption filters over the light sources. This client had used a similar uniform source system in the past, however; new developments required a wider aperture and subsequently, a larger sphere.
Labsphere’s Solution
A standard Labsphere HELIOS system is capable of achieving the desired radiance using a selection of lamps and detectors. However, with the inclusion of NIST’s filters, some unique features needed to be incorporated to keep the system reliable and easy to use.
- Four halogen lamps positioned symmetrically around the exit port
- Filter wheels with six slots to fit an open aperture and up to five NIST filters – operated with simple button controls
- Air cooling system to control the heat generated by the lamps
- Air intake is filtered and blown directly to the filter wheel through flexible duct tubes
- Three additional lamps to achieve the requested spectral radiance
- Variable attenuator for continuous adjustability
- Adapter for client’s spectrometer
- Silicon and InGaAs detectors for readings across the full active spectrum
- Both equipped with light-tight filter and aperture sliders featuring pin-hole and dark shutter, as well as a photopic filter and slot for an additional filter
Benefits
- With the application-specific mounts built for the filter wheels, the client is able to apply and use their filters easily
- The cooling system prevents any heat damage from occurring to the filters
- Labsphere exceeded the client’s spectral requirements, ensuring that they can perform any test they need
- With 98.1% spacial and 96.2% angular uniformity, the system ensures accurate results on every test
- Broad spectral control and availability, allowing easy adjustment of spectral radiance, color temperature, and wavelength distribution with Labsphere’s HELIOSense software
- Labsphere was able to design, build, test, and ship the system within a tight deadline of just over two months
Advancing the technology of LIGHT
Labsphere leads the photonics industry in its ability to generate, detect, and manipulate light to help people and businesses work better. Founded in 1979, we are trusted leaders on the front lines of inventing solutions that advance the future. As part of the Halma Group of companies, we strive for perfection with products that are certified to the highest standards, so our customers don’t need to prove to auditors that their equipment meets regulatory requirements.
Our name is proof enough.
Whether its remote sensing and consumer products or lasers and lighting or medical devices and automotive technologies, our diverse, experienced team continually answers the call to apply our creativity and experience towards engineering answers for tomorrow’s next big challenge, confident in the understanding that the future is limited only by our imagination.
Advancing the future
Our team of experts in radiometry and photometry are able to solve seemingly impossible challenges. We do this not only in the variety of applications we can address but also in how those applications can be used across multiple industries. As the go-to experts on the front lines of inventing solutions our transdisciplinary approach enables us to deliver products that are globally recognized to exceed the highest standards.
Engineering answers for tomorrow’s challenges
It surprises some to learn that we aren’t all engineers. We embrace different perspectives to find innovative solutions. With experts representing diverse manufacturing, commercial and scientific backgrounds including oceanography, earth science and chemistry, we can see challenges from multiple perspectives and find unique solutions. That approach is embodied in our innate curiosity, passion and tenacity to improve how people and businesses live and work.
