Pulsed LED Illumination Arrays for Consistent Outdoor Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems struggle to provide consistent high-intensity illumination in varying ambient lighting conditions, leading to inconsistent image quality and the need for extensive training data to account for variable imaging conditions in automated object detection.
Innovation Solution
A high-intensity illumination system comprising a lighting array with light emitters configured to produce illuminance comparable to or brighter than ambient light, ensuring uniform illumination across a region of interest, synchronized with a camera's exposure time to capture high-quality, high-resolution images.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If ambient illumination is used for imaging, then energy consumption is reduced, but image quality becomes inconsistent under varying lighting conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system uses periodic pulsed illumination synchronized with the camera exposure timing, providing high-intensity light only when needed for image capture rather than continuous illumination, thus resolving the contradiction between image quality and energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-synchronizes the illumination pulses with the camera exposure timing, ensuring that high-intensity illumination is activated precisely when the camera is capturing images, thereby guaranteeing consistent image quality without requiring continuous energy consumption
2Illumination intensity
If high-intensity illumination is provided, then image quality improves, but the complexity of the illumination system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system is divided into multiple independent LED modules that can be individually controlled and synchronized with the camera exposure, reducing the complexity of controlling a single high-intensity source while achieving the same overall illumination effect
Solution Approach 2:
The illumination system serves multiple functions: providing high-intensity illumination for image capture, being synchronized with camera exposure timing, and potentially serving as a reference light source for automated detection, thereby justifying the increased complexity through multi-functionality
3Measurement precision
If synchronized pulsed illumination is used, then image clarity improves, but the precision of timing synchronization becomes more critical
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback from the camera exposure timing signal to trigger the illumination pulses, ensuring precise synchronization without requiring complex independent timing control circuits, thus achieving image clarity while managing timing synchronization precision requirements
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate automated object detection with reduced training data requirements and improved image clarity, allowing for precise object targeting and identification in diverse environments.
Implementation Method 1
a lighting array comprising a plurality of light emitters configured to emit light and illuminate a region of interest with an illuminance that is brighter than ambient illumination
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are high intensity illumination systems including lighting arrays of lights, such as light emitting diodes, configured to illuminate a surface. The lighting arrays are configured to illuminate the surface with illumination comparable to or multiple times brighter than the ambient illumination, such as sunlight. Also described herein are methods of using a high intensity illumination system to illuminate a surface for applications including imaging, object detection, and object localization. The systems and methods described herein may be applied to a range of industries including farming, agriculture, construction, and autonomous vehicles.