Image Quality

    Image Quality
    Concepts

    When your testing problem has no off-the-shelf answer, we research one, and prove it works in the lab before you invest.

    Overview

    Not every image quality challenge fits a standard test setup. Novel sensor technologies, unusual optics, demanding use cases and emerging applications often raise questions that no existing chart, light source or standard answers on its own. That is exactly where an Image Quality Concept comes in.

    An Image Quality Concept is a structured investigation carried out by our iQ-Lab engineers. We take your specific testing problem, explore it in depth, and research whether, and how, it can be solved under controlled laboratory conditions. The result is a clear, documented concept that defines the relevant key performance indicators, the proposed test setups and the open questions still to be resolved.

    We recommend this step whenever a problem is too uncommon or too complex for one of our standard, off-the-shelf solutions. Rather than committing to equipment or an extensive test programme straight away, you start with a focused concept that maps out the path to a reliable, repeatable measurement.

    Explore the problem: we analyse your application, devices and goals to understand what really needs to be measured.

    Research a solution: we identify the metrics, standards, charts and illumination that could characterise it in the lab.

    Document the path forward: you receive a concept report with proposed setups, identified risks and recommended next steps.

    Why start with a Concept

    A concept is a small, deliberate first step that protects your bigger decisions.

    Reduced Risk

    Surface the technical hurdles early, on paper and in the lab, before they become expensive surprises.

    Validate First

    Confirm that our test equipment and services genuinely solve your problem before you commit.

    Right Investment

    Invest in the equipment or extensive testing only once the approach has been proven sound.

    Lab Expertise

    Tap into our metrology know-how, standards knowledge and custom chart and illumination capabilities.

    From Concept to Confidence

    Each stage builds on the last, so you only move forward once the previous step has earned it.

    Step 1: Image Quality Concept

    We research your problem and define the relevant KPIs, candidate test setups and the standards that apply. You receive a documented concept that lays out the proposed path and its open questions.

    Step 2: Proof of Concept

    We verify the concept in the iQ-Lab with real measurements, confirming the setup works, the targets perform and the results are reliable and repeatable for your application.

    Step 3: Testing & Equipment

    With a proven approach in hand, you move on with confidence, extensive characterisation in our iQ-Lab, or the right Image Engineering equipment for testing in-house.

    Example Concepts

    Medical · Smartphone Imaging

    Dermatology Texture Measurement

    • How do you measure fine-detail reproduction of a smartphone-and-dermascope combination at extreme close focus, where standard targets are simply too large?

    • We explored target materials, reproduction ratios and illumination, and identified a custom transmissive dead-leaves target as the only viable route to a reliable texture measurement.

    ➤ Texture reproduction to ISO/TS 19567-1

    ➤ Custom high-resolution target concept

    ➤ Proof of concept and subsequent tests

    Industrial · Light Sources

    Compact Production-Line Illumination

    • Can a multispectral calibration light source be made compact enough to retrofit onto space-constrained camera production lines without losing uniformity?

    • We investigated fibre-coupled iQ-LED setups, evaluating intensity and homogeneity across several configurations to find the most promising route to a small, high-quality output.

    • Spectrally tunable, uniform output

    • Intensity and homogeneity validated in lab

    • Clear direction for prototype development

    Semiconductor · Automated Inspection

    Wafer Defect Inspection

    • Can a camera-based system reliably detect and classify cosmetic defects on wafers, and what optical and imaging requirements does that demand?

    • In a Phase 1 feasibility study we derived the optical, mechanical and data-processing requirements from concrete image-quality KPIs, and mapped which defect types a camera-based setup can reliably resolve.

    • Requirements set by resolution, signal-to-noise ratio and contrast

    • Defect detectability and classification across visibility tiers

    • Technical foundation for a full inspection system