An information processing system includes an irradiation unit configured to irradiate a deposited material with electromagnetic waves, a detection unit configured to detect scattered waves or transmitted waves of the electromagnetic waves with which the deposited material has been irradiated by the irradiation unit, and a determination unit configured to determine a state of the deposited material from an image based on the scattered waves or the transmitted waves detected by the detection unit.

A device for detecting the presence of pollen in the air, including a measuring chamber isolated from external light, an arrangement configured to drive an air flow through the measuring chamber, and a light source emitting a light beam in a direction of propagation through the air flow, into the measuring chamber. The device includes at least four photosensitive sensors configured to measure the luminous flux diffused by the illuminated air flow, in four different directions, a clock, at least two meteorological sensors, and at least one computer capable of determining the nature of a pollen particle present in the air from the data measured by the photosensitive sensors, the clock and the meteorological sensors.

An apparatus for generating a two dimensional map representative of a turbid or clear medium (11) includes a system (12) for generating incoherent light within a medium (11), a light collecting system (13) that is movable or stationary relative to the medium (11) being analyzed and that is arranged for collecting light exiting the medium (11), and a spectrum analyzer (14) configured to determine spectrum data of the light exiting the turbid medium (11) and to transmit the spectrum data to a computing unit (15). The computing unit (15) is configured to generate a two dimensional map, in which one dimension of the map is wavelength and a second dimension is a position of the light collecting system (13). The invention is also direct-ed to a method for classifying media using the two dimensional map generated with the apparatus. The method comprises steps of feeding and training neural networks and using the trained neural networks to classify unknown media.

A dust sensor includes a photo detector configured to detect light scattered from dust; and a signal processing circuit having a high-pass filter receiving an electric signal generated from output of the photo detector. The signal processing circuit generates a dust detection signal using a signal provided to the high-pass filter as well as a signal output from the high-pass filter.

A system for detecting plastics, macro-plastics, micro-plastics and nano-plastics in a maritime, estuary or river environment includes multiple detection devices and a data processing device. The detection devices detect the plastics, macro-plastics, micro-plastics, and nano-plastics using different detection wavelengths. The data processing device includes a communication interface and a processor. The communication interface receives detection signals from the detection devices and the processor determines locations of the plastics, the macro-plastics, the micro-plastics and the nano-plastics in the environment based at least in part on the received detection signals within a common coordinate system.

An example forward scatter sensor comprises: a transmitter arranged to emit a single light sheet; a receiver to observe light scattered from particles that fall through a measurement volume; and a control entity comprising an analyzer arranged 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, the precipitation analysis comprising: identifying, in said time segment, one or more double peaks that each represent a respective droplet and comprise a first peak that represents light refracted from a bottom of the respective droplet upon entry to the measurement volume and a second peak that represents light reflected from a top of the respective droplet upon exit from the measurement volume; and deriving one or more precipitation parameters and one or more precipitation indications.

A method of operating a multi-angle, multi-wave array may comprise, emitting a first light at a blue wavelength, emitting a second light at an infrared wavelength, emitting a third light at an ultraviolet wavelength, and detecting a scattered light from each of the first light, the second light, and the third light at a plurality of light sensing devices wherein the detection of scattered light is determinative between categories of foreign object debris including solid objects and particulates including silicate sand, water vapor, dust, volcanic ash, sea-salt aerosol, and smoke.

An example forward scatter sensor comprises: a transmitter arranged to emit a single light sheet; a receiver to observe light scattered from particles that fall through a measurement volume; and a control entity comprising an analyzer arranged 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, the precipitation analysis comprising: identifying, in said time segment, one or more double peaks that each represent a respective droplet and comprise a first peak that represents light refracted from a bottom of the respective droplet upon entry to the measurement volume and a second peak that represents light reflected from a top of the respective droplet upon exit from the measurement volume; and deriving one or more precipitation parameters and one or more precipitation indications.

An object of the present invention is to provide a novel technology capable of evaluating a subsurface damaged layer without destroying a semiconductor substrate. As means for solving this object, the present invention includes a measurement step of causing laser light having penetration characteristics to be incident from a surface of a semiconductor substrate having a subsurface damaged layer under the surface and measuring an intensity of scattered light scattered under the surface, and an evaluation step of evaluating the subsurface damaged layer on the basis of the intensity of the scattered light obtained in the measurement step.

An illumination system includes a measurement stage on which a measurement target is located, a light-providing part having illumination sections providing multi-directional incident lights to the measurement target, a light-receiving part receiving single-directional reflection lights reflected by the measurement target according to the multi-directional incident lights, and a processing part that performs acquiring a first distribution of intensities the single-directional reflection lights with respect to the multi-directional incident lights, acquiring, from the first distribution, a second distribution of intensities of multi-directional reflections lights with respect to a single-directional incident light, and determining material of the measurement target based on parameters of the second distribution. A method of recognizing material using the illumination system and a computer readable non-transitory recording medium recording a program embodying the method are provided.