Colorir - Is This A New Camera Technology?

JH
John Honovich
Oct 05, 2014
IPVM

Some manufacturers have mentioned 'ColorIR' to us recently, as an upcoming camera technology.

The concept is that these sensors / cameras could deliver color images in low light with IR light and without using a D/N cut filter

This is apparently being developed by sensor manufacturers.

Can anyone share any details here?

(1)
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Carl Lindgren
Oct 05, 2014

How is that possible? I fail to see how one can obtain true color images from a monochromal light source.

(1)
JH
John Honovich
Oct 05, 2014
IPVM

My rough understanding is that there would be some color light available and that, combined with IR light, the camera could convert / amplify / generate a color image from both types of light.

U
Undisclosed #1
Oct 05, 2014

Essentially, yes. Much like old pictures and films that can be colorized, if you have enough processing power and a few data points you can "colorize" any image.

As low-light capabilities of sensors continue to progress, along with more advanced DSP's and on-camera processing, we are going to be seeing some new things over the next several years.

(2)
U
Undisclosed #2
Oct 05, 2014

How will this ColorIR technology effect the adoption rate of Super Low Light cameras?

JH
John Honovich
Oct 05, 2014
IPVM

Presumably, they would become the next generation of super low light cameras, like Super Low Light ++ cameras...

(1)
JC
JACK CC
Oct 06, 2014

Maybe you mean the Color Night Mode

JH
John Honovich
Oct 06, 2014
IPVM

Thanks for sharing!

I don't know if that is it, but the video was just uploaded by Sony last week.

Most relevant slide:

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Oct 06, 2014

I saw a demo of this from a Japanese company in maybe 2011. It was a CCD with IR and it was effectively color IR.

They said they were 18 months away from a production product. Time, the resolution and the expected price killed the interest from our side (previous life).

I've been looking out for it since but never seen it - admittedly I lost their name :(

The first demo I saw was fitted to a car and doing 30fps.
They called it color IR. - no surprise :)

Saw stills of the Sony CNM a few months ago.

JH
John Honovich
Oct 06, 2014
IPVM

D, what do you think of Sony CNM? Promising? Not promising?

UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Oct 06, 2014

Potentially very interesting.

On the low light cams you tend to see them at shows demoing in BW mode in closed off boxes. Turn them to color and they give out some good results, but with lots of noise obviously.

This fixes the noise problem. The false palette one can probably live with due to the benefits. On a static scene, perhaps they'll have a color reference that can use to adjust better for the majority of the scene - reading wikipedia, it makes me think that is how it's achieved?

Film colorization - Wikipedia

But are finding often installers are using white LED lighting for dark areas with public transit due to H&S and CCTV camera illumination is benefiting from that. So low light cams are beneficial but very dark areas are becoming more economical to light up often negating the need for IR.

Everything of course has it's place. If it's just a DSP function, then it's a nice tick for specifiers.

JC
JACK CC
Oct 14, 2014

Hi All

I find some info about "Color Infrared Camera"

Sharp Develops Color Infrared Camera for Automotive Use

Sharp Develops Color Infrared Camera for Automotive Use | NIKKEI XTECH

new color filter that separates near-infrared light into red, green and blue lights.

The filter is not made of an organic material but an inorganic material

and

http://www.aist.go.jp/aist_e/latest_research/2013/20130201/20130201.html

産総研:赤外線カラー暗視カメラ用の撮像素子を開発

FYR~

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