A precision agriculture support system is provided with a measuring device, a storage device and a plant species determining unit. The measuring device measures a first spectral characteristic of light derived from vegetation in a support target area. The storage device stores a database of spectrum according to species that shows a spectral characteristic of a desired crop. The plant species determining unit determines whether a plant included in the vegetation is the desired crop or not based on the database of spectrum according to species and a measurement result of the first spectral characteristic. The plant species determination unit further carries out distinction of agricultural crops, distinction of agricultural crops and weeds and the like. Furthermore, the precision agriculture support system identifies an area where abnormality is occurring, estimates a nature of the abnormality and carries out an early warning by providing a countermeasure against the abnormality.

A method for correcting thermal image distortion in a thermal camera in an apparatus for the layer-by-layer manufacture of three-dimensional objects, the thermal camera comprising a plurality of sensor pixels arranged along a first direction; the method comprising the steps of: (a) causing a temperature reference to be at a first steady state temperature; (b) moving the temperature reference at the first steady state temperature through a plurality of positions along the first direction through the field of view of the thermal camera; (c) recording a plurality of thermal images with the thermal camera while moving the temperature reference during step (b), each thermal image corresponding to one of the plurality of positions and comprising the detected temperature of the temperature reference as detected by at least one pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels; (d) identifying the at least one pixel that detected the temperature of the temperature reference within a respective thermal image at the corresponding one of the plurality of positions; (e) constructing a thermal map from the identified pixels representing the detected temperature of the temperature reference at the plurality of positions; (f) generating a correction matrix for the identified pixels based on comparison between the thermal map and the first steady state temperature; and (g) applying the correction matrix to subsequent measurements of the thermal camera. A controller and an apparatus for the layer-by-layer manufacture of three-dimensional objects comprising the controller to carry out the method are also provided.

A method for correcting thermal image distortion in a thermal camera in an apparatus for the layer-by-layer manufacture of three-dimensional objects, the thermal camera comprising a plurality of sensor pixels arranged along a first direction; the method comprising the steps of: (a) causing a temperature reference to be at a first steady state temperature; (b) moving the temperature reference at the first steady state temperature through a plurality of positions along the first direction through the field of view of the thermal camera; (c) recording a plurality of thermal images with the thermal camera while moving the temperature reference during step (b), each thermal image corresponding to one of the plurality of positions and comprising the detected temperature of the temperature reference as detected by at least one pixel of the plurality of sensor pixels; (d) identifying the at least one pixel that detected the temperature of the temperature reference within a respective thermal image at the corresponding one of the plurality of positions; (e) constructing a thermal map from the identified pixels representing the detected temperature of the temperature reference at the plurality of positions; (f) generating a correction matrix for the identified pixels based on comparison between the thermal map and the first steady state temperature; and (g) applying the correction matrix to subsequent measurements of the thermal camera. A controller and an apparatus for the layer-by-layer manufacture of three-dimensional objects comprising the controller to carry out the method are also provided.

A thermal imaging system for a cooking appliance is capable of being calibrated for any arrangement of cooktop burners disposed on a surface of a cooking appliance. A thermal imaging system can be calibrated by processing a received thermal scan of a surface of a cooking appliance having a particular cooktop arrangement to identify a plurality of cooktop burners on the surface of the cooking appliance for the particular arrangement, determine a number of cooktop burners in the particular arrangement, and determine one or more locations of the cooktop to assign to each of the cooktop burners. Further, the determined one or more locations assigned to each of the cooktop burners can be stored in association with a respective cooktop burner. Once calibrated, the thermal imaging system can calculate a temperature for each of the cooktop burners to be used in performing subsequent control and/or safety functions.

A thermal imaging system for a cooking appliance is capable of being calibrated for any arrangement of cooktop burners disposed on a surface of a cooking appliance. A thermal imaging system can be calibrated by processing a received thermal scan of a surface of a cooking appliance having a particular cooktop arrangement to identify a plurality of cooktop burners on the surface of the cooking appliance for the particular arrangement, determine a number of cooktop burners in the particular arrangement, and determine one or more locations of the cooktop to assign to each of the cooktop burners. Further, the determined one or more locations assigned to each of the cooktop burners can be stored in association with a respective cooktop burner. Once calibrated, the thermal imaging system can calculate a temperature for each of the cooktop burners to be used in performing subsequent control and/or safety functions.

A radiation thermometer 100 includes two infrared detectors 1 and 1′ and a temperature calculator 2. The infrared detectors 1 and 1′ each have a predetermined measurement visual field and detect the amount of infrared rays incident from the measurement visual field. The temperature calculator 2 calculates the temperature of a measurement target region Xa based on the amounts of infrared rays detected by the respective infrared detectors 1 and 1′. The measurement target region Xa is included in the measurement visual fields of the respective infrared detectors 1 and 1′, and the sizes of the respective measurement visual fields are set to be different frm each other with respect to the measurement target region Xa.

An automated computer-vision system is used for timing the sand drainage in a sand management arrangement that handles flowback of sand and other solid materials in a slurry of flow from well(s) at wellsite(s). The automated system uses infrared imaging of flowback equipment to determine a level of solids (sand) in the equipment. Image processing of the temperature differences of the content in the equipment gives a demarcation of the sand and liquid separation in the equipment, which is used to determine how much sand is present. If the equipment is found to be full or above a predefined benchmark, the automated system operates a discharge skid to discharge the contents to a waste tank.

An automated computer-vision system is used for timing the sand drainage in a sand management arrangement that handles flowback of sand and other solid materials in a slurry of flow from well(s) at wellsite(s). The automated system uses infrared imaging of flowback equipment to determine a level of solids (sand) in the equipment. Image processing of the temperature differences of the content in the equipment gives a demarcation of the sand and liquid separation in the equipment, which is used to determine how much sand is present. If the equipment is found to be full or above a predefined benchmark, the automated system operates a discharge skid to discharge the contents to a waste tank.

Techniques to test infrared detectors are disclosed. In one example, a focal plane array for an imaging system includes a plurality of infrared detectors arranged in a plurality of rows and columns where each of the infrared detectors is configured to provide an output signal in response to externally received thermal radiation associated with a scene. A plurality of offset circuits of the imaging system may be electrically coupled to the focal plane array and configured to selectively superimpose fixed-pattern noise on the output signals to provide modified output signals. A readout integrated circuit of the imaging system may be configured to provide the modified output signals for processing to test an integrity of the infrared detectors. Modified output signals that are outside an expected output range based on the thermal radiation and known offset may be determined defective. Related methods, devices, and systems are also provided.

Techniques to test infrared detectors are disclosed. In one example, a focal plane array for an imaging system includes a plurality of infrared detectors arranged in a plurality of rows and columns where each of the infrared detectors is configured to provide an output signal in response to externally received thermal radiation associated with a scene. A plurality of offset circuits of the imaging system may be electrically coupled to the focal plane array and configured to selectively superimpose fixed-pattern noise on the output signals to provide modified output signals. A readout integrated circuit of the imaging system may be configured to provide the modified output signals for processing to test an integrity of the infrared detectors. Modified output signals that are outside an expected output range based on the thermal radiation and known offset may be determined defective. Related methods, devices, and systems are also provided.