Insights Blog
-- Browse All Articles --
Physics Articles
Physics Tutorials
Physics Guides
Physics FAQ
Math Articles
Math Tutorials
Math Guides
Math FAQ
Education Articles
Education Guides
Bio/Chem Articles
Technology Guides
Computer Science Tutorials
Forums
Classical Physics
Quantum Physics
Quantum Interpretations
Special and General Relativity
Atomic and Condensed Matter
Nuclear and Particle Physics
Beyond the Standard Model
Cosmology
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Other Physics Topics
Trending
Featured Threads
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Classical Physics
Quantum Physics
Quantum Interpretations
Special and General Relativity
Atomic and Condensed Matter
Nuclear and Particle Physics
Beyond the Standard Model
Cosmology
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Other Physics Topics
Menu
Log in
Register
Navigation
More options
Contact us
Close Menu
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Forums
Physics
Other Physics Topics
In night vision equipment, how does 'information' transfer?
Reply to thread
Message
[QUOTE="Drakkith, post: 6039225, member: 272035"] Essentially all digital imaging sensors use similar concepts. They absorb incoming photons and use that energy to make electrons do something. The details of how each type of sensor works are slightly different, but the basic idea is the same. There are two basic pieces for any imaging device. You have the optics portion, and you have the sensor portion. The optics portion for every device is virtually the same. A series of optical components (lenses and/or mirrors) gather incoming light from the target region and focuses it so that light from any single point in object space (the region you're looking at with the optics) is concentrated at a single point on the image plane (or focal plane). This collection of points containing focused light is called an 'image'. The light then falls onto a sensing device placed at the image plane and is absorbed. The shape, color, and all other information you can gather from an image is contained in the image (though your sensor may not be able to record all of this different information at once). The sensor then takes that light and uses its energy to do something else. For most digital sensors, a small pixel measures the intensity of light falling on it. Fitting together the measurements from millions of pixels gives you a 'map' of the image. By 'map' I mean that the original information has been taken from the image and transferred to another medium, in this case a large array of intensity measurements, just like a map of a city contains the information about the position and layout of buildings, roads, and other features you would encounter if you went to that city. You can think of a digital image as a large excel spreadsheet with each cell holding a number that indirectly represents the intensity of the light in that region of the image. A traditional photograph from film holds the information in the layout of the dyes used to make the image. The exact mechanisms that take the information contained in the light and move it over to electrons in a digital sensor varies, like I said above. But the most common sensors are CCD and CMOS sensors. I'll post a link to both of these devices below, along with a few other links that may help. Infrared sensors often use something called an image intensifier, which works a little differently from CCD and CMOS sensors. Here you are: [URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor[/URL] [URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_imaging[/URL] [URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charge-coupled_device[/URL] [URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_pixel_sensor[/URL] [URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_intensifier[/URL] [URL]https://www.explainthatstuff.com/hownightvisionworks.html[/URL] [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Post reply
Forums
Physics
Other Physics Topics
In night vision equipment, how does 'information' transfer?
Back
Top