When photonics serves the non-photonic world
Novel, cost-effective, multimodal monitoring solutions for breakthroughs in system optimization
MULTIPLE will bring together snapshot mosaic filters, organic electronic sensors, and state-of-the-art machine learning to deliver breakthrough and cost- effective snapshot hyperspectral imaging and spectrometric solutions covering a broad spectral range and suited to actual industrial monitoring and control needs. MULTIPLE multimodal monitoring systems will be IoT native, exploiting open source cloud, big data, and deep learning technology. A fast-orchestrated deployment of data-driven AI-based models will foster production optimization.
At Aimen Technology Centre in O Porriño (Vigo), the European project MULTIPLE (research volume of roughly 7.4 Mio.€) in the framework of Horizon 2020 Work Programme 2018-2020 Information and Communication Technologies was launched today. The last years have seen a research boom in hyperspectral imaging and spectroscopy measurement technologies, especially in a spectral range that spans the visible, short-wavelength infrared (SWIR), and mid- wavelength infrared (MWIR). This part of the optical spectrum has proved as a privileged proxy to material properties, especially suited to non-destructive monitoring. It avoids the damage and risks of ionising radiation, and also the environmental noise of thermal radiation. Compared to widespread panchromatic or trichromatic systems, spectrally resolved technology has demonstrated far higher accuracy and specificity, key to address more and more scenarios of industrial monitoring and control, across many different sectors.
Figure 1: a) Monolithic integration of spectral filters on CMOS-based imager wafers. b) Hybrid integration of filters on glass substrates with InGaAs detector and readout electronics.
One of the strengths of the project is the presence since the beginning of end-users of this technology in three different manufacturing scenarios: steelworking, woodworking, and food. This will ensure the broadness of tested applicability needed to obtain a major impact of the developed technology. The coordinator of the project, Dr. Roi Mendez, from Aimen Centro Tecnologico is extremely satisfied by the whole project concept and stated: “I am confident that each end-user’s demand will be met by the end of the foreseen three years, potentially opening the doors of other fields of application for this technology”. YIOTIS is the end-user in the food sector and explained the optimization aims in online monitoring of their chocolate production line. Its representative Dr. Katarina Pissaridi said: “We are very excited to participate in the project. It is a great opportunity for the company to be one of the end users and to test in our facilities such a disruptive new technology. We are confident that the project will be successful, and we are looking forward to work with each and everyone in the consortium and to testing and implementing new monitoring solutions in our facilities”.
MULTIPLE project partners are Aimen Centro Tecnologico (Coordinator), Abraia Software, IRIS Technology Solutions, imec, Airoptic, SCM Group, Royo, Photonfocus, Russula, LDL, EPIC-European Photonics Industry Consortium, Tematys, YIOTIS, MRA, Senorics and TiO2.
