An example forward scatter sensor comprises: a transmitter to emit a light sheet; a receiver to observe light scattered from particles that fall through a measurement volume; and a control entity comprising an analyzer to record a measurement signal descriptive of intensity of light captured by the receiver as a function of time and to: carry out a precipitation analysis on basis of a time segment of the measurement signal; carry out a verification of analysis performance based on magnitudes of first peaks of at least one identified double peak and on respective residence times for said at least one identified double peak; and invoke a predefined maintenance action responsive to said verification indicating a threshold-exceeding difference between respective size estimates derived based on magnitudes of the first peak of said at least one identified double peak and based on residence times of said at least one identified double peak.

A shared optics and telescope, a filter, and a micropulse differential absorption LIDAR are provided, with methods to use the same. The shared optics and telescope includes a pair of axicon lenses, a secondary mirror, a primary mirror including an inner mirror portion and an outer mirror portion, the inner mirror portion operable to expand the deflected annular transmission beam, and the outer mirror portion operable to collect the return signal. The filter includes an etalon and a first filter. The micropulse differential absorption LIDAR includes first and second laser signals, a laser transmission beam selection switch, a first laser return signal switch, and a toggle timer.

An aerosol detector system is described for spatially resolved detection of an aerosol distribution in an area. The system includes a wide field polarization preserving telescope having telecentric imaging optics for imaging the earth surface onto a detector that receives phase stepped images from the telescope, A controller is arranged to provide a resulting image as a function of corresponding pixel values of the multiple images to produce an image at a spatially resolved polarization state corresponding to said aerosol substance.

In one embodiment, a particle sensor on or in a vehicle is provided. The laser particle sensor comprises an optical system; a processing system coupled to the optical system; wherein the optical system is configured to transmit one or more laser light beams to detect particles in a volume of freestream fluid, and to have the one or more light beams terminate on a portion of the vehicle on which the optical system is mounted; and wherein the optical system is configured to receive a backscattered portion of the one or more laser light beams transmitted by the optical system.

A method for outputting a control signal can include receiving image data associated with an image captured by an image capture means, determining a visibility condition about a vehicle by analysing at least a portion of the image data to determine one or more edges in the image, and outputting a control signal based on the analysis, the control signal for controlling an operation of a vehicle system of the vehicle. The method may be used to detect the presence of a foggy environment whereby the presence of fog reduces the number of detectable edges in an image.

Methods and systems in accordance with the present invention provide a continuum measure of visibility from a single image without prior knowledge of the camera system or the cameras in the system. This may be, for example, a score on the weather visibility quality of the image, ranging from good to poor, or a numeric score representing the weather visibility quality of the terrain in the image. This may be done without prior knowledge of the camera system, the camera that took the image, or the environment. It is also done with the single image without using multiple images, or reference images. The system derives a real-time continuum measure of visibility from a single daytime image, with unknown camera quality, system configuration, and environmental conditions.

Provided herein are systems and methods for an active sensing instrument actively utilizing the Christiansen effect to sense and adapt to suspended scatterers such as dust. The instrument enhances detection of remote surfaces that are partially or fully obscured at visual wavelengths due to those suspended scatterers. The system also may be used to measure properties and spatial distributions of the suspended scatterers themselves. Though the system is broadly applicable to remote detection through scattering media, it is particularly drawn to remote sensing through dust particles in the atmosphere as may be produced from helicopter fly-overs, dust storms, or other events that draw up substantial concentrations of mineral-based dust particles into the air.

Solar spectral irradiance (SSI) measurements are important for solar collector/photovoltaic panel efficiency and solar energy resource assessment as well as being important for scientific meteorological/climate observations and material testing research. To date such measurements have exploited modified diffraction grating based scientific instruments which are bulky, expensive, and with low mechanical integrity for generalized deployment. A compact and cost-effective tool for accurately determining the global solar spectra as well as the global horizontal or tilted irradiances as part of on-site solar resource assessments and module performance characterization studies would be beneficial. An instrument with no moving parts for mechanical and environment stability in open field, non-controlled deployments could exploit software to resolve the global, direct and diffuse solar spectra from its measurements within the 280-4000 nm spectral range, in addition to major atmospheric processes, such as air mass, Rayleigh scattering, aerosol extinction, ozone and water vapor absorptions.

A quality-sensing bottle cap includes a sensor array having a plurality of conductive polymeric sensors. In some embodiments, each sensor is exposed within a mechanical chamber and is in electrical communication with an interrogation interface. The mechanical chamber is configured, in an inactive state, to be closed off from a headspace above a liquid contained in a bottle sealed with the quality-sensing bottle cap and configured, in an active state, to be open to the headspace. The sensor array may be tailored for a particular application, such as the detection of olive oil aroma. The sensor array may, for example, allow discrimination among olive oils of different qualities (e.g., extra virgin olive oil, lampante virgin olive oil, and refined olive oil), as well as discrimination among olive oils with negative attributes (e.g., olive oils with unpleasant aromatic notes, such as fusty, muddy sediment, musty, and rancid).

Solar spectral irradiance (SSI) measurements are important for solar collector/photovoltaic panel efficiency and solar energy resource assessment as well as being important for scientific meteorological/climate observations and material testing research. To date such measurements have exploited modified diffraction grating based scientific instruments which are bulky, expensive, and with low mechanical integrity for generalized deployment. A compact and cost-effective tool for accurately determining the global solar spectra as well as the global horizontal or tilted irradiances as part of on-site solar resource assessments and module performance characterization studies would be beneficial. An instrument with no moving parts for mechanical and environment stability in open field, non-controlled deployments could exploit software to resolve the global, direct and diffuse solar spectra from its measurements within the 280-4000 nm spectral range, in addition to major atmospheric processes, such as air mass, Rayleigh scattering, aerosol extinction, ozone and water vapour absorptions.