A gas detection apparatus includes a housing which carries a plurality of light emitting diodes which are coupled in parallel and which emit substantially the same wavelength of radiant energy. A closed loop control circuit maintains the radiant energy output of the diodes at substantially a predetermined value. The radiant light radiant light and a sample of a gas of interest are directed to a sensing position at which a gas responsive tape is positioned. Reflected light from the tape is detected at a sensor displaced from the tape. A light collecting element can be positioned between the coupled diodes and the sensing position.

A remote reflective materials sensor for detecting remotely located reflective material. The remote reflective materials sensor includes a transparent window with two window surfaces, an amount of reflective material that is remotely located away from one window surface. An operating parameters sensor located adjacent to the transparent window, a radiation detector located away from the other window surface; and two spaced apart radiation emitters located on either side of the radiation detector, and away from the second window surface. Each radiation emitter is configured to emit radiation along one axis through the transparent window towards the reflective material and towards a common focal point. The radiation detector is located to receive reflected radiation from the reflective material along another axis. The first axis of the radiation emitters is angled towards the other axis of the reflected radiation.

The present concept is a method of preparing an egg to determine the color of the egg using an egg yolk cover. The egg yolk cover is dome-shaped with a base edge and inspection area. The egg yolk cover eliminates ambient light from impinging on the egg yolk and is used in combination with a light sensor to determine the color of egg yolks. The light sensor includes a single flat printed circuit board with a top and bottom side which includes at least one LED light and one color sensor, at least one light pipe receiving light from the LED and transmitting it onto a substrate at an angle theta and a tube frame including an optical tube for receiving light reflections from the substrate. The light pipes and the tube frame are compression fit between the printed circuit board and a lower housing. To determine the color of the egg yolk, the egg is first cracked onto a flat surface. The egg yolk cover is then placed over the egg yolk and the color sensor is placed onto the inspection area to measure the color.

A measuring apparatus that measures an optical characteristic of a surface in accordance with a standard selected from a plurality of standards is provided. The apparatus includes an illumination device configured to illuminate the surface with light from a light source, an imaging device configured to image the light source with reflected light from the surface illuminated by the illumination device, and a processor configured to process image data having number of pixels obtained by reducing number of pixels of the imaging device by a reduction rate to obtain the optical characteristic of the surface. The processor is configured to determine the reduction rate based on the selected standard.

The invention concerns method and an apparatus for analyzing the quality and quantity of bubbles or droplets of a dispersed phase in a construction material. The method may be used on construction materials before or during curing of the material, while in a non-solid state with the dispersed phase being entrapped therein. The inventive analyzing includes the steps of: applying a first side of an at least partially transparent plate in contact with a sample of said construction material to make a surface of said sample visible through said transparent plate; illuminating said surface of said sample through said plate from an opposite second side of said plate with at least one light source; providing a photosensitive sensor on said second side of said plate for receiving light reflected from said sample through said transparent plate, receiving from said photosensitive sensor electrical signals corresponding to said received reflected light and rendering from said electrical signals a visual representation of said surface of said sample using an imaging device; analyzing said visual representation with a computer system, by identifying bubbles or droplets of said dispersed phase from the surface of the sample by a spatial illumination encoding of the sample; and by determining the size and location of identified bubbles or droplets of said dispersed phase. Finally, an indication of the quality of said construction material is computed, based on the size and distribution of the identified bubbles or droplets of said dispersed phase in said sample.

A moisture sensor detects moisture in an object. A first light-emitting element emits light. A first reflecting member reflects light reflected from the object toward the object. A light-receiving element receives light that is multiple reflected between the object and the first reflecting member. A controller determines an amount of moisture in the object based on a light reception result from the light-receiving element.