It has been shown that both optical and acoustic signals can be transmitted through clothing. This means that, in
principle, both types of signal could be used for personal screening. In this paper, a description of how each of these
signals interacts with clothing, and the information that can be obtained, will be presented. The wavelengths are very
different - by three orders of magnitude. In fact, the wavelength of ultrasound is of a similar order of magnitude to that used by THz systems (≤ 1 mm), whereas the optical signals that could be used are typically in the micron or so range. This means that their use for screening relies on totally different mechanisms. In this paper, results will be shown for both types of measurements, where the location of hidden objects can be demonstrated. The imaging resolution that can be obtained will be described, together with a discussion of how both types of energy could be used for improved identification of objects hidden beneath layers of clothing.
Experiments have been performed to demonstrate that near infrared (NIR) transmission through a wide range of clothing
materials is possible. Studies have shown that the characteristics of NIR transmission are affected by both the type of
fibre used, and the weave pattern. A series of experiments has indicated that NIR transmission is also dependent on other
variables such as fabric porosity and dye colour. It is shown that, in many cases, transmission coefficients are sufficiently
high that imaging and spectroscopy of objects hidden behind clothing samples should be possible. However, while
transmission through clothing at NIR wavelengths in the 750-1,700 nm range is often more effective than in the visible or
IR regions, the fabrics themselves will modify the transmitted signal in terms of spatial effects, intensity and spectral
content. The paper also describes the possible use of near infrared signals to identify objects that are hidden behind
clothing layers. This can be done using spectroscopy. It is important, however, to distinguish the various contributions
that exist within the backscattered signal. A set of careful laboratory experiments have demonstrated that transmission
through a set of different clothing fabrics does modify the spectral content of signals, but that the spectrum of a particular
chemical can still be identified, provided certain steps are taken. These involve a set of careful calibration measurements,
and the use of processing techniques for the retrieval of data. It will be shown that this is possible for both granular solids
and selected liquids.
KEYWORDS: Calibration, Near infrared, Data modeling, Hydrogen, Signal to noise ratio, Chemical analysis, Spectroscopy, Neural networks, Statistical modeling, Liquids
The detection of specific chemicals when concealed behind a layer of clothing is reported using near infrared (NIR)
spectroscopy. Concealment modifies the spectrum of a particular chemical when recorded at stand-off ranges of three
meters in a diffuse reflection experiment. The subsequent analysis to identify a particular chemical has involved
employing calibration models such as principal component regression (PCR) and partial least squares regression (PLSR).
Additionally, detection has been attempted with good results using neural networks. The latter technique serves to
overcome nonlinearities in the calibration/training dataset, affording more robust modelling. Finally, lock-in
amplification of spectral data collected in through-transmission arrangement has been shown to allow detection at SNR
as low as -60dB. The work has been shown to both allow detection of specific chemicals concealed behind a single
intervening layer of fabric material, and to estimate the concentration of certain liquids.
This paper will demonstrate that near infrared (NIR) signals at wavelengths in the range 0.9 to 2.5 microns can be used
for personal screening applications. At these wavelengths, there is sufficient spectral information to provide chemical
identification, while still providing transmission through many types of common clothing materials. Thus, chemical
identification in diffuse reflection is possible.
Initial measurements on selected clothing materials have indicated that there is sufficient transmission to allow NIR
spectra from concealed chemicals to be collected. The effect of the clothing material on the observed spectra has also
been quantified. The clothing materials ranged from cotton to man-made fibres. Spectra have been collected at stand-off
distances of several metres or more, using a suitable lens system and an NIR spectrometer. The optics required to
achieve this will be described, and some spectra from chemicals hidden behind clothing will be presented. The further
steps necessary to provide correct identification of chemicals such as ammonium nitrate in granular form will also be
given, involving signal analysis methods. A set of spectra will be shown that have been collected and analysed, for a
wide range of clothing fabric materials, indicating that the technique could have wide application to personal screening
situations.
KEYWORDS: Near infrared, Terahertz radiation, Defense and security, Chemical analysis, Tissues, Electronics, Imaging systems, Signal detection, Control systems, Information security
A novel technique of NIR imaging is presented that gives access to most of the applications currently published as being solely suitable for Terahertz (THz) waves. The technique uses NIR beams wavelengths found in ordinary domestic remote controls (circa 850 nm) and various signal recovery techniques commonly found in astronomy. This alternative technique can be realised by very simple and inexpensive electronics and is inherently far more portable and easy to use and no special sources are required. Transmission imaging results from this technique are presented from several industrial examples and various security applications and are compared and contrasted directly with their THz-derived counterparts. It would appear possible to very cheaply and simply emulate the performance of commercial terahertz systems at a fraction of the cost and with greatly reduced processing times Another advantage is that apart from imaging, this technique affords the means to provide simultaneous in-situ chemical-bond analysis for stand-off detection of certain chemical signatures - for example, those found in drugs and explosives (both molecular and oxidiser based). Also, unlike THz, this technique can penetrate bulk water and high humidity atmospheres and be used in transmission mode on biological and medical samples. Several results are presented of non-ionising X-ray type images that even differentiate between separate types of soft tissue
KEYWORDS: Near infrared, Terahertz radiation, Defense and security, Chemical analysis, Imaging spectroscopy, Tissues, Electronics, Imaging systems, Signal detection, Control systems
A novel technique of NIR imaging is presented that gives access to most of the applications currently published as being solely suitable for Terahertz (THz) waves. The technique uses NIR beams wavelengths found in ordinary domestic remote controls (circa 850 nm) and various signal recovery techniques commonly found in astronomy. This alternative technique can be realised by very simple and inexpensive electronics and is inherently far more portable and easy to use and no special sources are required. Transmission imaging results from this technique are presented from several industrial examples and various security applications and are compared and contrasted directly with their THz-derived counterparts. It would appear possible to very cheaply and simply emulate the performance of commercial terahertz systems at a fraction of the cost and with greatly reduced processing times Another advantage is that apart from imaging, this technique affords the means to provide simultaneous in-situ chemical-bond analysis for stand-off detection of certain chemical signatures - for example, those found in drugs and explosives (both molecular and oxidiser based). Also, unlike THz, this technique can penetrate bulk water and high humidity atmospheres and be used in transmission mode on biological and medical samples. Several results are presented of non-ionising X-ray type images that even differentiate between separate types of soft tissue
Different modulation methods for optical wireless have different power and bandwidth efficiencies. Each approach has a direct bearing on the quality and effectiveness of wireless optical communications. As two prime examples, pulse position modulation (PPM) and pulse width modulation (PWM) are compared. The comparison includes the power and bandwidth efficiencies, the power spectrum distribution, and the ability to resist intersymbol interference. Compact system models of multilevel digital PPM (L-PPM), and multilevel digital PWM (L-PWM) are also introduced. The results show that L-PPM has advantages in power efficiency and an approximately uniform spectral distribution, whereas L-PWM has a greater ability to resist intersymbol interference.
A technique has been devised for the measurement of surface refractive index of the cornea in human eyes. It has been shown to be effective in laboratory studies of refractive index in optical components of the eye. A modified approach is proposed, in which a much more accurate measurement may be achieved, with the added advantage of reduced patient discomfort. This is achieved by a non-contact method, and frequency-domain analysis of the optical signals used in the characterisation, which are optimised for best signal to noise ratio.
In this paper, we review the characteristics of a diffuse infrared channel and create a simulation environment for a diffuse infrared wireless network study in the network simulator ns-2. To investigate the performance of Distributed Coordination Function (DFC) access method in IEEE802.11 MAC protocol based on the Diffuse infrared (DFIR) physical layer, we focus on the key mechanisms, RTS/CTS message exchange and backoff algorithm, and evaluate the protocol performance for various network configurations. Our simulations show that the value of RTS_Threshold strongly depends on the network configuration. We also investigate the trade-off between RTS/CTS and backoff schemes. The results are shown in throughput and average MAC delay.
KEYWORDS: Signal to noise ratio, Video, Interference (communication), Optical fibers, Modulation, Composites, Frequency modulation, Amplitude modulation, Fermium, Signal processing
The objective of this paper is to investigate the theoretical aspects of colorimetric noise analysis of component video signals for an optical fibre video transmission systems. The design of a low noise optical fibre colour video transmission system requires information regarding the degradation of various hues or at least the colours to which the eye is more sensitive in the presence of system noise. An expression for objective component video signal-to-noise ratio called the Display Signal-to-Noise Ratio (DSNR) is derived for both subcarrier frequency and amplitude modulated systems for the first time. The DSNR expression take into account the effects television receiver decoding and the nonlinearity of the display tube. A fundamental relationship between the input composite video SNR and the DSNR is established. Using this analysis impairments in various hues at different saturations and at different luminances are examined. The effect of the input noise spectrum on displayed primary colours is also analysed. The analysis discussed here is shown to be useful not only for present but also for future video systems and for dynamic noise reduction applications. 337 L
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