Abstract: An apparatus and associated methodology are provided to obtain intrinsic hyper-spectral data cubes such that the intrinsic spectrum associated with each pixel of the field of view does not contain irrelevant spectral components. This is accomplished by obtaining a focused spatial image of the field of view and a diffuse image of the field of view with a slit arrangement including a translucent material that allows imaging of a focused spatial image with its associated spectrum and a diffuse image of the illumination with its associated spectrum at essentially the same time. Unprocessed intrinsic data cubes are generated from the obtained spectrum which are processed with the intrinsic methodology of the invention to generate an intrinsic hyper-spectral data cube of the field of view.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to generate intrinsic images without barrier filters and dichroic mirrors is provided. The method involves acquisition of an image of a focused field of view and a diffused image of the same field of view. The diffused image is obtained by placing a translucent material in the path between a camera and the field of view. The translucent material permits transmission of the illumination energy while diffusing the spatial details of the field of view, thus producing a featureless image of illumination intensities. The focused and diffused images are then processed pixel-by-pixel by to generate intrinsic images free of irrelevant illumination.

Abstract: An apparatus and method to generate intrinsic images without barrier filters and dichroic mirrors is provided. The method involves acquisition of an image of a focused field of view and a diffused image of the same field of view. The diffused image is obtained by placing a translucent material in the path between a camera and the field of view. The translucent material permits transmission of the illumination energy while diffusing the spatial details of the field of view, thus producing a featureless image of illumination intensities. The focused and diffused images are then processed pixel-by-pixel by to generate intrinsic images free of irrelevant illumination.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of obtaining data cubes such that elimination of the irrelevant portion of the illumination reveals the low intensity intrinsic spectral components. The method obtains target and reference data cubes using a single camera and of a single field of view so that low-level intrinsic spectral components may be detected and enhanced under conditions of high illumination intensity without the use of filters. Two exposures in rapid succession of the same field of view at the same camera settings are taken, one exposure of the target is taken under coherent conditions where the field of view is in focus, and the second exposure is of the same field of view taken under non-coherent conditions where the target is defocused such that it has no discernible spatial features in the field of view.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of removing the illumination and background spectral components thus isolating spectra from multi-spectral and hyper-spectral data cubes. The invention accomplishes this by first balancing a reference and sample data cubes for each spectra associated with each location, or pixel/voxel, in the spatial image. The set of residual spectra produced in the balancing step is used to obtain and correct a new set of reference spectra that is used to remove the illumination and background components in a sample data cube.

Abstract: A wire for machining with the aid of an abrasive comprises a core wire of a hard metallic material and wrapped therearound in an open helical configuration a band of a softer material which is sufficiently soft for the surface thereof to be impregnated with a subdivided abrasive material. Apparatus for machining a work piece constituted of a hard material by contacting the material with a moving wire, which may, for example, be the aforementioned wire, comprises means for holding the work piece in contact with the wire while, simultaneously, transmitting ultrasonic energy into the wire, vibrating the wire at frequencies lower than ultrasonic and reciprocating the wire lengthwise.