1
Return

Conversion of RGB Camera into Hyperspectral Imager Using a Liquid Crystal Spectral Modulator and Artificial Intelligence

delete2026-07-07
delete0
delete
OA
AI
D
Doron Pasha
I
Isaac August
I
Ibrahim Abdulhalim *
DOI:10.1021/acsphotonics.6c00774delete
deleteOriginal
deleteOriginal request for help
deleteShare
deleteSave
Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
Hyperspectral imaging extracts spectral information for quantitative material identification, yet its adoption remains constrained by dispersive optics, filter arrays, and mechanically scanned architectures. Here, we introduce a method for converting a standard RGB or color-masked sensor into a hyperspectral imager through programmable photonic encoding and physics-aware neural inversion. A single electrically tunable liquid-crystal (LC) spectral modulator, operating via voltage-controlled birefringent interference, dynamically reshapes incident spectra to generate a sequence of structured spectral mixing states. This reconfigurable encoding lifts the intrinsic three-channel limitation of conventional sensors, without modifying the detector or introducing dispersive elements. The inherent spectral decomposition of the color channels significantly reduces the dimensionality and complexity of the inverse problem. The captured multiplexed data are modeled as a conditioned inverse problem governed by the spectral transfer functions of the modulator and sensor. To recover narrowband spectral components, a wavelength-resolved artificial neural network array (ANNA) is implemented that performs band-specific inversion, optimizing information fusion according to the spectral sensitivity and encoding matrix. This optical-digital codesign enhances spectral identifiability and stability while preserving hardware simplicity. Accurate visible-near-infrared range hyperspectral reconstruction is demonstrated experimentally and validates material sensitivity by quantifying olive oil adulteration in canola oil mixtures, resolving subtle absorption variations indistinguishable in RGB space. By redefining color cameras as programmable spectral measurement systems, this work establishes a compact, scalable pathway toward deployable hyperspectral imaging and illustrates how structured photonic modulation and ANNA can fundamentally extend the information capacity of conventional imaging platforms.
Keywords:
Color
Imaging
Liquid chromatography
Liquid crystals
Sensors
hyperspectral imaging
computational spectroscopy
liquid crystal modulators
RGB camera
artificial intelligence
liquid crystal spectral modulators

Journal

ACS Photonics cover
ACS Photonics
IF:
6.7
Papers:
5.6K
Citations:
2.5W

Organization

S
Sami Shamoon College of Engineering
Scholars:
180
Papers: 188
Citations: 156
B
ben gurion university of the negev
Scholars:
231
Papers: 124
Citations: 0
Cited Papers

Cited Papers

Citing Papers

Citing Papers