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What we are working on#

WAILight: Spectrally Tunable Illumination System#

The WAILight is a custom-built, spectrally tunable luminaire designed to bridge the gap between computational imaging and physical illumination. Unlike standard lighting systems, WAILight can algorithmically optimize its output to maximize contrast for machine vision applications.

Our Work

System Overview#

System overview

The core of the WAILight system is a programmable array of monochromatic LED channels covering the visible spectrum. By precisely modulating the brightness of each channel, the system can:

Synthesize standard illuminants (e.g., CIE D50, D65) on demand.
Generate "hyper-contrast" spectra designed to reveal specific features (e.g. in forensic samples).
Operate as a "Physical AI" agent, adjusting lighting in real-time based on feedback from imaging sensors.

Technical Specifications
Light Source:	10+ independent monochromatic LED channels
Spectral Range:	Visible spectrum coverage (approx. 400nm – 700nm).
Control:	Integrated with our HAPPy software platform for automated spectral sweeping and optimization.

Applications#

Forensic Imaging#

Forensic Imaging

One of the primary application of WAILight is in Forensic Cloth Contrast Enhancement. By tuning the illumination spectrum to exploit the optical properties of specific biological stains or fabric dyes, the system can render invisible evidence visible without chemical treatment.

Computational Color Science#

WAILight serves as a testbed to physically validate theoretical optimal lighting conditions for object detection and segmentation.

Camera Calibration#

Camera Calibration

WAILight is used for high-precision camera calibration, offering superior performance compared to traditional monochromator and integrating sphere setups. Its high-intensity output eliminates the noise sensitivity issues common in those low-throughput methods, ensuring robust and accurate sensor characterization. This allows us to ground-truth our imaging pipelines and ensure accurate color reproduction across different sensors.

Custom Hardware Development Services#

Beyond our internal research, our group leverages the programmable WAILight architecture to design and build bespoke illumination panels for external research groups. We provide end-to-end hardware development services, tailored to specific experimental requirements:

Case Study: Far-Red Photobiology Panels#

Far-Red Photobiology Panels

We recently delivered a set of specialized illumination rigs for the School of Science to support research into cyanobacteria photosynthesis. The research group required a specific "shaded" spectral environment that commercial grow lights could not provide. We engineered panels capable of high-intensity output specifically in the Far-Red (700nm+) region to simulate these niche conditions.