RPS Imaging Science Group

Busy day yesterday. In addition to an RPS Imaging Science Group meeting I had an email about a Printed Electronics Summit in San Jose – see  here for details. Looks like an interesting meeting – I may see you there!

Some time ago I wrote about this meeting. The Institute of Physics Printing and Graphics Science Group in collaboration with the University of the Arts London MATAR Centre (see http://www.matar.co.uk/) organises a periodic International conference entitled “Preservation and Conservation Issues in Digital Printing and Digital Photography”. Registration is now open at http://ppp10.iopconfs.org/Registration/page_37015.html.

For the photographers amongst us, here is an interesting document. The screw that holds your camera to the tripod is subject to its own ISO standard – ISO 1222. See http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=33323&commid=48420 for details. If you want to get a copy, hold fire. The 2010 version will be out soon!

I find this information doubly useful for attaching imaging kit like telescopes onto tripods.

Just seen some more details on the International Congress of Imaging Science meeting in Beijing – see http://www.csist.org.cn/en/Conferences/Upcoming_conferences/2009/0911/193.asp for details. The keynotes look interesting, including one from Phill Green at University of Arts London.

May yet make the trip!

The new ISO 5 density standards are now featured in a press release from ISO – see http://www.iso.org/iso/pressrelease.htm?refid=Ref1276. This page contains lots of useful links to the other photography standards too.

Tuesday 1st December 2009
Institute of Physics, London W1B 1NT
The Institute of Physics Printing and Graphics Science Group 2009 student conference takes place this year directly after the Committee meeting and AGM. We will have tea and coffee available from 1:30pm and will start the conference at 2pm in the Phillips Room of the Institute of Physics, 76 Portland Place, London W1B 1NT.
 
2:00pm Physical and Structural Changes During the Ink Drying Process
Christopher Chapman, Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, School of Engineering, Swansea University
2:30pm Carbon Nanotubes as a Material for Printing
Neil Graddage, Welsh Centre for Printing and Coating, School of Engineering, Swansea University
3:00pm Integrated solution for inkjet printing of cellulosic textiles substrates
A W Kaimouz* ,R H Wardman , R M Christie, The School of Textiles & Design, Heriot-Watt University, Galashiels, TD1 3HF, UK.
3:30pm An Online Colour Naming Model
Dimitris Mylonas, London College of Communication
4:00pm Gamut prediction of N-colour printing processes
Kiran Deshpande, London College of Communication
4:30pm Implementing Colour Appearance and Local Adaptation in Digital Photography
Iain Gibson MSc, London College of Communication
5:00pm Coalescence behaviour of multiple drops impacting successively on a dry solid substrate
Eleanor Betton, Graham D Martin and Ian M Hutchings, Institute for Manufacturing, Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge.

Come join us – we will all learn something new!

October 7th & 8th 2010, The Royal Astronomical Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1J 0BQ

In October 1910 Professor Robert Wood presented his paper to the Royal Photographic Society in London  “Photography by Invisible Rays”, describing the use of an infrared plate to make a permanent image in the near infrared. Since that time significant advances have been made in infrared thermal imaging, with applications across a broad spectrum from medicine, industry and astronomy.

Two day seminars, the first on the development and general applications of infrared imaging, and the second on infrared imaging in astronomy will be held in London. The first will be organised under the auspices of The Royal Photographic Society, Imaging Science Group, and the second by the Royal Astronomical Society.

The identification of infrared rays is attributed to Sir William Herschel who presented his findings to the Royal Society in 1800. Sir William became the first president of the Royal Astronomical Society that was founded in 1820. In 2009, the Herschel Space telescope was launched carrying a multi-spectral infrared camera system. Some of the first observational images from this current mission will form part of the second day seminar.

As promised, the report and presentations are now on line – see http://www.rps-isg.org/DF2009_presentations.php .

The Low Frequency Radio Array (LOFAR – see http://www.lofar.org/ ) is a radio telescope utilising some fascinating imaging science. Unlike “traditional” radio telescopes such as Jodrell Bank it does not use large expensive dish aerials. Instead it uses large numbers of cheap dipole antennae spread over a wide area. Because this is low frequency imaging science (<100MHz) large diameters are needed to gain resolution.
The really clever bit is combining all these signals with the correct phase relationships to produce an image from a set direction in the sky. The imaging science here is not trivial but the LOFAR scientists believe that they can use their computing power to simultaneously image 8 different areas of the sky.
If you want a glimpse of the mathematics involved in this process it looks like this was covered in a recent paper in the Imaging Science Journal – check out pages 274 to 279 in Volume 57(5).
Think I will stick with optics – the maths looks easier!

To the British Library for their Points of View Photographic Exhibition – see http://www.bl.uk/pointsofview/. Eadweard Muybridge’s study of motion, Edward Sherrif Curtis on Native America and Roger Fenton all feature here. The section on The Search for Permanence is particularly poignant given the work still ongoing for ISO standards in this area!
There a lot of photographic processes featured here. I only had 1 hour – leave yourself longer!