Integrating sphere light sources provide a luminous field with very good uniformity of the luminance or radiance distribution. Hence they are commonly referred to as Uniform Light Sources. One of their main uses is the pixel sensitivity adjustment of digital image sensors and cameras. In photographic technology this is known as white balance. As part of the adjustment, sensitivity differences of individual pixels or pixel groupings are detected and corrected by uniform illumination of all the pixels. To detect possible linearity errors, white balance is performed at different intensities.
White balance compact wide-angle cameras
Digital image processing is a prerequisite for many applications such as the autonomous movement of vehicles, mobile robots and driverless transport systems. The image is often captured by compact wide-angle cameras, which as safety-critical sensors, require a white balance at different intensities and operating conditions. If the integrating sphere light source has to be arranged at a significant distance from the camera due to the measuring setup which may involve climatic chambers for example, the required uniform light field can be very large. An alternative is to project the homogeneous light field of the integrating sphere through a solid, light-conducting medium right up to the camera optics.
ISS-8P-RVA-ROD
The ISS-8P-RVA-ROD integrating sphere light source offers a number of unique features that make it ideal for use as a uniform light source to balance compact wide-angle cameras in applications with limited camera access and challenging operating conditions.