Optronics: constantly evolving
Optronics has always been a wonderful area of experimentation and innovation. The alliance between optics and electronics, which undoubtedly emerged during the 20th century, will today make it possible to develop high-performance vision equipment or systems.
The term optronic refers directly to optics, more precisely to the human eye and vision. The visual information received by the eye is transmitted to the brain after various preliminary processing carried out by the retina. Let’s take the example of the new planet “TOI 700 d”, which is a planet located one hundred light years from Earth.
It was discovered by the TESS satellite, thanks to the watchful eye of several astronomers. Optronics was born from the desire to improve so-called “standard” optical systems by adding vision sensors that are capable of observing in conditions where the human eye is not capable of doing so: night for example or from an observation satellite.
Electronics, for its part, developed significantly in the 1970s. The information society emerged in the 1980s thanks to new technologies and in particular the power of computers. Today it is almost impossible to create a photonic (optical) system without thinking about its electronic and computer environment.
This discipline took its first steps in the defense sector, more precisely during the Second World War. This is the very beginning of a strategic technology for security and defense.
It was from the 1970s that optronics began to spread to the general public. Indeed, the image takes up a large place in daily life and optronic devices accompany this explosion both in image taking and in visualization. We can cite, for example, the case of digital cameras which appeared in 1975.
Optronicsalso extends into many other fields such as space and astronomy. For Earth and space observation, the equipment is relatively complex and very expensive. However, major scientific discoveries have emerged thanks to concrete information from Earth observation satellites. The example of the discovery and exploration of new planets by NASA is part of this. We also have long-distance transmissions of information between satellites. Take the example of the Brazilian satellite Amazonia 1 which provides data on deforestation for monitoring the environment and agriculture on Brazilian territory.
In terms of scientific research, many optronic sensors are involved in large-scale scientific projects carried out in research laboratories, among others.
To cite a fairly recent example, we have the exploration of Mars by Perseverance. This mission consisted of exploring the planet Mars using a mobile robot developed by NASA, equipped with cameras capable of sending back color and high-resolution images. On this robot were installed numerous analysis instruments such as “Supercam” which aimed to detect traces of microbial life on the red planet.
As for industry, it is a fairly dynamic sector which plays a major role in growth and innovation. It is a sector which has invested in research and development (industrial tailor-made). However, it is a demanding sector in terms of product quality and conformity, leading to a great need for visual checks. This allows companies to better manage risks and avoid exposing themselves to risks linked to non-compliance with regulations. Thanks to the introduction of new technologies (such as 3D printing, or Big Data) and thanks to the evolution and transformation of industry and production systems, we have entered an era of product customization what we call the 4th industrial revolution or Industry 4.0.
Optronic systems will be used in various industrial sectors, from the automotive sector (production of parts, equipment and vehicle assembly) to the wood or paper trades, including the agri-food industry. We can take the example of infrared imaging, which has been used for several years to improve control methods in the food industry. One of its main applications is the detection of damage to food products.
Likewise, on the medical level, there are many optronic devices developed in recent years such as connected portable tools (e.g. 3D micro-scanner, fluorescence cameras, etc.) which are indeed on-board imaging solutions.
In conclusion, this This area of expertise is involved in many fields of application: defense, aerospace, astronomy, industry, scientific research, medical diagnosis and many others.
Today, to develop intelligent embedded vision systems for these various sectors, mastering the subtleties of optronics is a necessity. It is this expertise that we offer you atDeverne.
