Systems, methods, and devices for fluid conduit inspection using absolute velocity of a sensor device are provided. The method includes: receiving sensor data collected by a sensor device during a measurement run from an interior of the fluid conduit while traveling along a length of the fluid conduit, the sensor device including a first magnetometer and a second magnetometer each having a fixed position in the sensor device, the fixed positions defining a separation distance between the first magnetometer and second magnetometer, the sensor data including magnetic flux data comprising first magnetic flux data collected by the first magnetometer and second magnetic flux data collected by the second magnetometer; determining a time delay between when a magnetic signal is present in the first magnetic flux data and when the magnetic signal is present in the second magnetic flux data; determining an absolute velocity of the sensor device.

Systems, methods, and devices for fluid conduit inspection using absolute velocity of a sensor device are provided. The method includes: receiving sensor data collected by a sensor device during a measurement run from an interior of the fluid conduit while traveling along a length of the fluid conduit, the sensor device including a first magnetometer and a second magnetometer each having a fixed position in the sensor device, the fixed positions defining a separation distance between the first magnetometer and second magnetometer, the sensor data including magnetic flux data comprising first magnetic flux data collected by the first magnetometer and second magnetic flux data collected by the second magnetometer; determining a time delay between when a magnetic signal is present in the first magnetic flux data and when the magnetic signal is present in the second magnetic flux data; determining an absolute velocity of the sensor device.

A sensor apparatus for mounting on a motor vehicle window for determining the position of the sun includes at least one lens body and at least one detector with photosensitive regions, wherein the lens body has a radiation entry side and a radiation exit side which faces the detector. The sensor apparatus is wherein an opaque structure is arranged inside the lens body, at least four lens sections of the lens body are defined by the opaque structure, a photosensitive region of the detector is assigned to each lens section, and each lens section has at least one convex lens contour on the radiation exit side of the lens body.

A sensor apparatus for mounting on a motor vehicle window for determining the position of the sun includes at least one lens body and at least one detector with photosensitive regions, wherein the lens body has a radiation entry side and a radiation exit side which faces the detector. The sensor apparatus is wherein an opaque structure is arranged inside the lens body, at least four lens sections of the lens body are defined by the opaque structure, a photosensitive region of the detector is assigned to each lens section, and each lens section has at least one convex lens contour on the radiation exit side of the lens body.

A system for automatically controlling a gimbaled camera system of a vehicle. The system includes a camera positioned relative to a body of the vehicle and one or more sensors configured to sense the pointing direction of the camera. One or more sensors are configured to monitor movement of the vehicle relative to a surface. A processor is configured to receive the sensed camera pointing direction data and vehicle movement data. The processor establishes and stores a target position representative of the position of a target object relative to the vehicle body based on an object independent association and automatically adjusts the camera pointing direction in response to the vehicle movement data such that the camera remains aimed on the target position. A method for automatically controlling the gimbaled camera system is also provided.

The invention provides in one aspect a fast digital light source tracker aboard a moving ground-based or airborne platform. The tracker consists of two rotating mirrors, a lens, an imaging camera, and a motion compensation system that provides the Euler angles of the mobile platform in real time. The tracker can be simultaneously coupled to UV-Vis and FTIR spectrometers, making it a versatile tool to measure the absorption of trace gases using the light source's incoming radiation.

The invention provides in one aspect a fast digital light source tracker aboard a moving ground-based or airborne platform. The tracker consists of two rotating mirrors, a lens, an imaging camera, and a motion compensation system that provides the Euler angles of the mobile platform in real time. The tracker can be simultaneously coupled to UV-Vis and FTIR spectrometers, making it a versatile tool to measure the absorption of trace gases using the light source's incoming radiation.

In flight vehicles subject to extreme aero-thermal heating of the optical window, the optical system is configured to look through an off-axis segment of the optical window and a polarizer is positioned in the optical path between the off-axis segment and the detector. The polarizer comprises at least one filter pixel that imparts a linear polarization of a certain angular value to filter the incident radiation as a function of its polarization. In the case of a sheet polarizer, the entire polarizer is aligned to the plane of incidence. The sheet polarizer preferentially filters the target radiation to increase the SNR at the detector. In the case of a microgrid polarizer, at least one and preferably multiple filter pixels in each sub-array aligned to the plane of incidence. The microgrid polarizer can produce data products including a radiance image, an AoLP image and a DoLP image, only the AoLP image removes the self-emitted window radiance and an gradient caused by non-uniform aero-thermal heating.

In flight vehicles subject to extreme aero-thermal heating of the optical window, the optical system is configured to look through an off-axis segment of the optical window and a polarizer is positioned in the optical path between the off-axis segment and the detector. The polarizer comprises at least one filter pixel that imparts a linear polarization of a certain angular value to filter the incident radiation as a function of its polarization. In the case of a sheet polarizer, the entire polarizer is aligned to the plane of incidence. The sheet polarizer preferentially filters the target radiation to increase the SNR at the detector. In the case of a microgrid polarizer, at least one and preferably multiple filter pixels in each sub-array aligned to the plane of incidence. The microgrid polarizer can produce data products including a radiance image, an AoLP image and a DoLP image, only the AoLP image removes the self-emitted window radiance and an gradient caused by non-uniform aero-thermal heating.

A sensor arrangement comprises at least a first, a second, and a third light sensor. A three-dimensional framework comprises at least a first, a second, and a third connection means which are connected to the at least first, second, and third light sensor, respectively. The first, the second, and the third connection means are configured to align the at least first, second, and third light sensor along a first, second, and third face of a polyhedron-like volume, respectively, such that the sensor arrangement encloses the polyhedron-like volume. The invention also relates to a method for operating the sensor arrangement.