Photonics Dictionary

Fixed-pattern noise is the measure of the static (nontemporal) differences between pixels when the detector is evenly illuminated. In microbolometers, this effect is mostly caused by mismatch between...

The number of electrons that each pixel of a charge-coupled device can hold without overflowing and causing blooming.

In image processing and machine vision, the rate of change of pixel intensity.

In image processing, machine vision and television, discrete brightness values quantized for a group of pixels. They can range from white, through various shades of gray, to black.

An image consisting of an array of pixels that can have more than two values (black and white). Typically, up to 16 levels are possible per pixel.

Image enhancement operations that involve altering gray-scale values. For instance, brightness sliding involves adding or subtracting an identical brightness value to or from each pixel in an image;...

In television, the number of individual pixels that can be distinguished in a horizontal scanning line; also called horizontal definition.

A device where each pixel in the detector array is mated with a preamplifier on a single silicon chip, providing sensing and signal processing capabilities.

A hyperspectral imaging camera is a sophisticated imaging device capable of capturing and processing data across a wide range of wavelengths within the electromagnetic spectrum, typically from...

Often referred to as the geometric center of a given image or image plane, the centroid of an image is a fixed point located at the intersection of all of the hyperplanes of symmetry within that...

Also referred to as image visibility, the contrast of an image is the variation in the intensity of an image formed by an optical system, where the image pixels are defined on a gray scale scheme of...

An infrared camera, also known as a thermal imaging camera or IR camera, is a device that captures and visualizes the infrared radiation emitted by objects, revealing temperature variations across...

Instantaneous field of view (iFOV) is a term commonly used in the context of remote sensing, imaging systems, and optical instruments. It refers to the specific portion of a scene that an optical...

An intensified charge-coupled device (ICCD) camera is an advanced imaging device that combines the capabilities of both an image intensifier and a charge-coupled device (CCD) sensor to achieve...

Interferometric modulator display (IMOD) is a type of display technology used in electronic devices, known for its energy efficiency and ability to produce high-quality reflective color displays....

The term light field refers to the spatial distribution of light rays traveling in all directions through a given space. It includes information about the intensity and direction of light rays at...

Line scan refers to a method of capturing images or data by scanning a single line at a time, as opposed to capturing the entire image simultaneously. This technique is commonly used in various...

A line-scan camera, also known as a line-scan image sensor or linear array camera, is a type of digital camera designed to capture images one line or row of pixels at a time, rather than a full...

A linear image sensor is a type of solid-state electronic device used to capture and convert light into electrical signals. Unlike area image sensors (such as CCD or CMOS sensors), which capture an...

A liquid crystal light valve (LCLV), also known as a spatial light modulator (SLM), is an optical device that modulates the intensity, phase, or polarization of light passing through it using liquid...

Liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) is a display technology that combines liquid crystal materials with silicon-based semiconductor technology to create high-resolution, high-quality images. LCoS...

In image processing, the memory that stores the values for the point processes. Input pixel values are those for the original image, while output values are those displayed on the monitor as altered...

In digital image processing, a method of convolution that reduces random noise by replacing the value of each pixel with the average of that pixel plus its neighbors, or of the neighbors alone. Also...

A machine vision lens is a specialized optical lens designed for use in machine vision systems, which are used for automated inspection, measurement, and quality control in industrial applications....

In image processing, the mathematical relationships that link pixel brightnesses of input images to those of output images in point processes. Mapping functions are commonly used to apply...

In image processing, the assigning of certain portions (or pixels) of an image a constant value of either 0 (black) or 1 (white) as to restrict image processing operations to a specific set of pixels...

In image processing, a method of local smoothing by replacing each pixel with the median gray level of neighboring pixels.

Micro-LED (micro-light-emitting diode) refers to a technology that involves the use of very small light-emitting diodes to create displays and lighting systems. These LEDs are miniature versions of...

A resampling and interpolation method that uses only the value of the nearest neighbor pixel, while not considering values from any other neighboring pixels from the source image to determine the...

A neuromorphic vision sensor is a type of imaging device designed to mimic the structure and functioning of the human visual system. Inspired by the biological principles of the human eye and brain,...

The optical Fourier transform is a mathematical operation applied to optical signals that involves transforming a spatial domain representation of an image into its corresponding frequency domain...

An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) is a type of light-emitting diode (LED) technology that utilizes organic compounds to produce light. OLEDs are commonly used in display technologies, such as...

The finite amount of electrical charge generated in response to incident radiation and transferred from one storage element to the next in a charge-coupled device. Each packet corresponds to a pixel...

In imaging, the processing of pixel data in such a way that a group of pixels is analyzed at one time rather than one pixel at a time.

An LCD that has pixels with no internal drive transistors.

An OLED display formed by creating an array of OLED pixels connected by intersecting anode and cathode conductors arranged in rows and columns. Electrical power is passed through selected pixels by...

Contraction of "picture element." See pixel.

Noise created by patterns imaged on a CCD surface. Pixel sensitivity is altered by responsivity during illumination.

A small section of the surface of a sensor corresponding to a single pixel in the image.

In digital image processing, a subcategory of frame processing that transforms pixel brightness and contrast through use of a mapping function. Point processing can be single-image (simple contrast...

In imaging technology, a device that converts raster or line-scan data to pixel form for further processing.

Ray tracing is a rendering technique used in computer graphics to simulate the way light interacts with objects in a scene. It involves tracing the path of rays of light as they travel through a...

1. A device used to trace out an object and build up an image. One of the most common of these types is video scanning. The scanning takes place inside the television tube as electrons, guided by...

A scientific CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) camera is a type of digital camera specifically designed for scientific imaging applications. It employs CMOS sensor technology, which...

Spatial resolution refers to the level of detail or granularity in an image or a spatial dataset. It is a measure of the smallest discernible or resolvable features in the spatial domain, typically...

A contraction for "texture element." A base unit used in computer graphics that defines the surface of three-dimensional objects. Texels are obtained from texture memory and represent color to be...