The majority of Area Scan Cameras in the market place today, fall into two categories: 1 CCD sensor cameras and 3 CCD sensor cameras. The 3 CCD cameras are perfect for applications where color is important. By giving each of the sensors an individual color to represent (RGB), you in turn create a high fidelity color image. But what happens when your application requires more than just visible color? What if there’s another aspect that needs to be inspected that requires Near Infrared (NIR)? That's where JAI's multispectral cameras come in.
With the introduction of these (2CCD) cameras, you’re now able to do two inspections within one camera. You no longer have to have multiple inspection stations for your application because they will all be centralized in one spot: the camera.
So where would you use this? Well, let’s say your application deals with selecting apples from an orchard. Previously you may have needed two cameras. One camera would be set up to inspect the color of the apples. Then you'd need a NIR camera, which was usually a much more expensive one, to detect any bruises beneath the skin. Now, thanks to 2 CCD multispectral cameras such as the AD-080CL and the AD-130GE, you essentially get both of those in one. That's right, you can have a standard color sensor verifying the color and a Near Infrared camera inspecting for bruises done all at the same time!