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Characterization of a Smartphone Camera's Response to Ultraviolet A Radiation
Author(s) -
Igoe Damien,
Parisi Alfio,
Carter Brad
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
photochemistry and photobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.818
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1751-1097
pISSN - 0031-8655
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-1097.2012.01216.x
Subject(s) - ultraviolet , image sensor , radiation , optics , irradiance , digital camera , optoelectronics , sensitivity (control systems) , cmos sensor , attenuation , photodiode , wavelength , lens (geology) , materials science , computer science , environmental science , physics , electronic engineering , engineering
As part of a wider study into the use of smartphones as solar ultraviolet radiation monitors, this article characterizes the ultraviolet A ( UVA ; 320–400 nm) response of a consumer complementary metal oxide semiconductor ( CMOS )‐based smartphone image sensor in a controlled laboratory environment. The CMOS image sensor in the camera possesses inherent sensitivity to UVA , and despite the attenuation due to the lens and neutral density and wavelength‐specific bandpass filters, the measured relative UVA irradiances relative to the incident irradiances range from 0.0065% at 380 nm to 0.0051% at 340 nm. In addition, the sensor demonstrates a predictable response to low‐intensity discrete UVA stimuli that can be modelled using the ratio of recorded digital values to the incident UVA irradiance for a given automatic exposure time, and resulting in measurement errors that are typically less than 5%. Our results support the idea that smartphones can be used for scientific monitoring of UVA radiation.