A New Era in High-Tech Photography Dawns
A New Era in High-Tech Photography Dawns
September 12, 2017
Press Releases, Robotics & High-Tech
BGN Technologies, the Technology Company of Ben–Gurion University, Seeks Commercial Partners
Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) have developed miniaturized hyperspectral technology as an add-on for a standard camera that will generate superior quality images and video faster and at a lower cost than currently available commercial devices.
A large prototype of BGU’s hyperspectral device
Hyperspectral cameras process and analyze information at different light wavelengths on the electromagnetic spectrum, capturing extremely high quality spatial and resolution images beyond what the unaided human eye can see.
The technology is used in a wide range of industries including homeland security surveillance, medical imaging, petroleum, mining, aerospace, and agriculture.
The BGU device, developed by four BGU researchers, can repurpose a standard camera for a plethora of applications, including micro-detection of cancer cells or measuring contaminants in water, with close to 100 percent precision. At only a few tens of microns wide, thinner than a human hair, the device is easy to produce, using commonly available materials such as liquid crystal.
The global hyperspectral imaging systems market is projected to reach $12.71 billion by 2021, according to a Markets and Markets Report published in January. Netta Cohen, chief executive officer of BGN Technologies, the technology company of BGU, says “the hyperspectral marketplace has increased significantly in the last five years. This new invention, with a commercial partner, will help lower the cost of hyperspectral cameras and make it far more accessible to professional photographers. It will also help expand the use of hyperspectral imaging technology in the electronic test and measurement instrument market.”
Prof. Adrian Stern, head of the BGU Electro-Optical Engineering Unit, says, “The technology uses our software based on ‘compressive sampling,’ which minimizes collection of redundant data during image capture, making the camera at least 10 times faster and creates spectral images of a markedly superior quality.”
Compressive sampling captures signals and images from much fewer samples or measurements than the traditional Nyquist-Shannon sampling theorem on which cameras and sensing devices have been based for 100 years.
“Instead of using a large and heavy prism inside the camera, we developed a very small, tunable filter and sensor that are activated by electrical current,” says Prof. Dan Blumberg, BGU vice president and dean for research and development, who is also part of the research team. “Every time the current changes, a photo is taken.”
The development team also includes Prof. Stanley Rotman of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Dr. Yitzhak August, a former Ph.D. student in the Electro-Optical Engineering Unit.
About BGN Technologies
BGN Technologies is the technology transfer company of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. BGN Technologies brings technological innovations from the lab to the market and fosters research collaborations and entrepreneurship among researchers and students. To date, BGN Technologies has established over 100 startup companies in the fields of biotech, high-tech and cleantech, and initiated leading technology hubs, incubators and accelerators. During the past decade, BGN Technologies focused on creating long-term partnerships with multinationals such as Deutsche Telekom, Dell-EMC, Lockheed Martin, and PayPal, securing value and growth for Ben-Gurion University and the Negev region.
ABOUT AMERICANS FOR BEN-GURION UNIVERSITY
By supporting a world-class academic institution that not only nurtures the Negev, but also shares its expertise locally and globally, Americans for Ben-Gurion University engages a community of Americans who are committed to improving the world. David Ben-Gurion envisioned that Israel’s future would be forged in the Negev. The cutting-edge research carried out at Ben-Gurion University drives that vision by sustaining a desert Silicon Valley, with the “Stanford of the Negev” at its center. The Americans for Ben-Gurion University movement supports a 21st century unifying vision for Israel by rallying around BGU’s remarkable work and role as an apolitical beacon of light in the Negev desert.
About Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev embraces the endless potential we have as individuals and as a commonality to adapt and to thrive in changing environments. Inspired by our location in the desert, we aim to discover, to create, and to develop solutions to dynamic challenges, to pose questions that have yet to be asked, and to push beyond the boundaries of the commonly accepted and possible.
We are proud to be a central force for inclusion, diversity and innovation in Israel, and we strive to extend the Negev’s potential and our entrepreneurial spirit throughout the world. For example, the multi-disciplinary School for Sustainability and Climate Change at BGU leverages over 50 years of expertise on living and thriving in the desert into scalable solutions for people everywhere.
BGU at a glance:
20,000 students | 800 senior faculty | 3 campuses | 6 faculties: humanities & social sciences, health sciences, engineering sciences, natural sciences, business & management, and desert research.
For all press inquiries, please contact:
James Fattal, J Cubed Communications
516.289.1496
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