The primary mission of the Imaging Technology Group (ITG) is to provide state-of-the-art imaging facilities for researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology and University of Illinois. This service mission is accomplished through two facilities: the Microscopy Suite and the Visualization, Media, and Imaging Laboratory (VMIL).

A secondary mission of the ITG is to develop advanced imaging technologies with an emphasis on projects in remote instrument control and visualization.

Wheels of a Freight Train

13 Dec 2001

Image of the wheels of a freight train with the wheel rim, bearing bolts, brake shoe, and spring locations identified using computer vision techniques. The image was taken by John M. Hart using the Nikon CoolPix995 at the Illinois Central maintenance facility in Champaign. Parts identified using algorithms developed by Nojun Kwak, visiting student to Prof Ahuja's Computer Vision and Robotics Laboratory. The results are part of a feasibility study for a cooperative effort with the Civil Engineering Department and the American Association of Railroads to automatically identify defective parts on moving freight cars.

Image Courtesy: John Hart and Nojun Kwak, AI, Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Contact: j-hart3@uiuc.edu, nkwak@uiuc.edu

Randomly selected from our Image of the Week archive, 1999-2008.

ITG Most Recent Forum

The ITG Forum will resume in Fall 2008, and announcements for them will appear here as we draw closer to that time. Previous Forums are available online.

ITG News

Lab on a Chip cover created by ITG

The July 2008 issue of the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Lab on a Chip features a cover image created by ITG staff Janet Sinn-Hanlon in the Visualization Media & Imaging Laboratory. The cover artwork accompanies a paper by Kidong Park, Jaesung Jang, Daniel Irimia, Jennifer Sturgis, James Lee, J. Paul Robinson, Mehmet Toner and Rashid Bashir. The highlighted paper describes their current research with living cantilever arrays for characterization of mass of single live cells in fluids. Janet combined models created in Maya and Photoshop for the final composited image.

Posted: 2008-07-02

ITG Director Search Extended, Currently Accepting Applications

The Imaging Technology Group has extended its search for a new group director. Read the full announcement and job description. Applications must be received by July 31, 2008 for full consideration. If you have questions, please contact jobs@beckman.uiuc.edu.

Posted: 2008-06-10

New ZCorp High-Resolution Color 3D Printer

ITG has acquired a new ZCorp Spectrum Z510 high-resolution color rapid prototyping machine. It is fully installed and ready for users to access in the VMIL. The new machine achieves very high color detail, outputting individual layers at 600dpi. The build volume is 10" x 14" x 8 " (254mm x 356mm x 203mm) with a selectable layer thickness of 0.0035"-0.008" (89µm-203µm). The machine operates in either full 24-bit color or monochrome (white) modes. Objects printed on the Z510 are suitable for data visualization, presentation materials, product testing, molds for direct casting, simulation parts, and certain types of functional devices. For information about using the new 3D printer, contact VMIL Manager Darren Stevenson.

Posted: 2008-06-04

Image from ITG on Cover of Chemical Reviews

The cover for the February 2008 edition of Chemical Reviews includes an image produced in the Visualization, Media, and Imaging Laboratory. The image, which is bottom right on the cover collage, depicts a plasmonic crystal array. It accompanies a paper by Matthew E. Stewart, Christopher R. Anderton, Lucas B. Thompson, Joana Maria, Stephen K. Gray, John A. Rogers, and Ralph G. Nuzzo on Nanostructured Plasmonic Sensors. ITG Visualization Specialist Alex Jerez created the image in the VMIL using several software packages, inclduing Amira, Maya, Photoshop, and After Effects.

Posted: 2008-05-01

New High Resolution X-Ray Micro-CT from Xradia

New High Resolution X-Ray Micro-CT from Xradia A new high resolution X-Ray micro-CT from Xradia has been installed and is ready for users. The new micro-CT provides 1 micron resolution compared to the 5 micron resolution from SkyScan 1172 micro-CT currently in VMIL. Xradia micro-CT also comes with proprietary ultrafast reconstruction program that takes minutes rather than hours to reconstruct a 3-D model from hundreds of 2-D images. The new micro-CT includes a micro-focused 10W (40~150 KeV) Tungsten tube, TE-cooled 4 mega-pixel CCD camera, 5 microscopic objectives (2X, 4X, 10X, 20X and 40X), and high-precision 4-axis motorized sample stage. The 40~150 KeV X-ray energy level allows a wide spectrum of materials that can be imaged by the new system. Please contact Leilei Yin for more information.

Posted: 2008-04-01

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