Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft

POLKA Polarization Camera

Product sheet Polka
© Fraunhofer IIS
Product sheet Polka

POLKA is an innovative camera for pixelwise detection and measurement of the polarization state of light. POLKA captures all the relevant polarization parameters in a single shot at a read-out rate of up to 25 images per second.

At the core, a custom-made CMOS image sensor with on-chip polarizers is employed, making external filters or costly mechanics obsolete.

For seamless integration into existing machine vision workflows, POLKA features an industry standard GigE Vision or USB3 Vision interface. The camera is ready to go in no time without any mechanical calibration. Its standard C-mount lens adapter enables the user to quickly adjust the camera’s optical properties to suit different applications, and also accommodates standard lenses.

Though being compact and rugged, POLKA is an artefact-free, cost-effective and easy to calibrate solution whenever the polarization information of light is to be analyzed. Real-time calculation of intensity, direction and degree of polarization and visualization as pseudo-colour image makes this information available for human eyes – uncover the Invisible!

the fiber direction is represented in pseudo colors
© Fraunhofer IIS
the fiber direction is represented in pseudo colors

 

 

Application Examples

 

  • 100% Inline stress inspections of container glass
  • Reflection suppression on non-metallic materials
  • Inspecting building components made from carbon fiber reinforced plastics
  • Tissue analysis for medical purposes
  • Materials differentiation

 

Technical Data

 

Optical

  • Resolution: 640 x 480 pixels
  • Frame rate: up to 25 fps
  • Sensor Format: 3.8 x 2.9 mm
  • Pixel size: 6 μm

 

Electrical

  • GigE Vision or USB3 Vision interface
  • Control signals: Sync,Trigger, Strobe
  • Power supply: 3,5 watts, 5 volts

 

Mechanical

  • Lens adapter: standard C-Mount
  • Size: 55 x 55 x 65 mm
  • Weight: 290 g
  • Rugged body for industrial application

 

Key Features

  • Custom-made CMOS-sensor with on-chip polarizers
  • One-shot image acquisition for moving objects (no motion artefacts)
  • Real-time measurement of polarization information
  • Frame rate up to 25 fps
  • Standard GigE Vision or USB3 Vision interface
  • Lightweight and rugged