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Photron

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Photron
Industryhigh-speed digital cameras
Founded1974
HeadquartersTokyo, Japan
ProductsPhotron Cameras: FASTCAM, SA Series
Websitewww.photron.com

Photron is an international company that manufactures high-speed digital cameras based in Tokyo, Japan, with offices in San Diego, California and the United Kingdom.

The Photron FASTCAM cameras are used for capturing high speed images and playing these images in slow motion. Use of a High-speed camera can be found in a broad variety of industries. A few of the industries include: flow visualization,[1][2] flame propagation,[3] ballistics,[4] firearm studies,[5] material science,[6] weapon development,[7] biological science,[8] biophysics,[9] vehicle impact studies (crash safety),[10] manufacturing, mining, automotive, and scientific research.

History

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1968-1991

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In July 1968, Osawa Laboratories, the predecessor of Photron, was founded by J. Osawa & Co. as a subsidiary.[11] The founding date is named as July 10, 1968.[12] Photron Limited, a subsidiary of J. Osawa & Co., was founded in June 1974.[11] Photron's name combines photon and electron, the fundamental process of creating electronic digital images from light. Photron's early high-speed cameras were only available in Japan. Photron began manufacturing professional film, video and photo-instrumentation equipment in Japan. Photron expanded into photo optics and electronic technologies including the manufacture of high speed digital cameras.[citation needed] Osawa Laboratories and Photron Limited merged to form Photron Limited, still a J. Osato & Co subsidiary, in September 1983. In May 1984, J. Osawa & Co. sold the entirety of Photron Limited to the Japanese company Chisan Limited.[11]

Photron closed its Komae Plant[citation needed] in June 1985, and also opening a plant in Ebina City, Kanagawa Prefecture, as well as a Nagoya branch office.[11] In 1987,Photron signed a distributorship agreement to sell Cintel telecine equipment in Japan.[citation needed] Photron opened a San Jose, California office in 1988.[11] Photron advanced their sensor technology in 1990 by working with Kinki University in Japan on a new design based on a block readout multichannel NMOS architecture. This new development produced a 256 pixel x 256 pixel x 4500 fps NMOS sensor which surpassed the fastest high-speed camera at that time, the Eastman Kodak SP2000 Motion analyzer (240 x 192 x 2000 fps).[citation needed] In March 1991, Photron opened the Yonezawa Plant in Yamagata Prefecture.[11]

1992-2011

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IMAGICA Corp. bought all of Photron Limited from Chisan Limited in July 1992.[11] After 1991, Photron continued to manufacture and sell high-speed cameras into Asia. However, Photron wanted to make available their new sensor technology to serve other applications outside ASIA. Photron reached an agreement with Eastman Kodak MASD to manufacture for MASD two high-speed cameras, the HS 4540 and the Kodak Ektapro(Motioncorder) products. These two products were sold by Eastman Kodak MASD in Europe, North America and parts of Asia until 2000, after which Photron assume worldwide responsibility for the products, renaming the HS 4540 the Photron FASTCAM SE and the Motioncorder as the Photron FASTCAM Super 10K.[citation needed]

In 1994, Photron opened an office in Fukuoka City. The company went public and started offering stock over the counter in September 1997.[11] In 1997, Photron started sales of the SLSM Super Slow Motion System made by EVS, a Belgian company.[citation needed] In January 2000, the company established the subsidiary Photron USA in San Jose, California. Photoron acquired I-Chips Technology Limited in June 2000, making it a subsidiary. In April 2001, Photron established Photron Europe Limited, a subsidiary, in the United Kingdom. Photron established Photron Vietnam Technical Center Limited in late 2001.[11] Photron acquired a ISO9001:2000 certificate for product quality in 2002. In 2003, Photron moved its head office, Ebina Plant, to the present location at Fujimi, Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo. In 2007, Photron established Photron Medical Imaging Inc. as a subsidiary. In 2010, Photron's ISO certificate status changed to ISO9001:2008.[11]

2011-2024

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In 2011, the company became a fully owned subsidiary of IMAGICA Robot Holdings,[11] a Japanese company which traditionally has been involved in film processing businesses.[citation needed] Photron merged with IMAGICA DIGIX Inc. in 2012.[11] In late 2013, Photron Inc. in San Diego came out with the FASTCAM Mini UX100 high speed camera for ballistics testing and other uses.[13] In 2016, it introduced the FASTCAM Mini AX200.[14] In 2020, the president of Photron was Takashi Takimizu, and the head office remained in Chiyoda-Ku, Tokyo, in the Jimbocho Mitsui Building.[12] That year, Photron Group acquired Photonic Lattice, Inc.[12] In 2021, Photron acquired TRASC, TASKEE, and ISLWARE. In 2022, it acquired Media Solutions, Inc.[11] Photron is a currently business unit of Imagica Robot Holdings, with the two business entities sharing technology such as color science, broadcast expertise and image processing.[citation needed]

Cameras and applications

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The FASTCAM SA5-RV Digital High-Speed Camera is a 1 megapixel 12-bit camera recording at 7,500 FPS.

Over last 10 years, Photron has been recognized for their contributions to high speed imaging.[15][16][17] Photron high-speed cameras can operate 20,000 fps at 1024 x 1024 pixel at 12-bit pixel resolution to ultra high-speed cameras operating over 2.1 million frames per second. Designers, manufacturers, and R&D/Test engineers use high-speed cameras to proof their designs with motion analysis, solving the issues that can only been viewed in non-real time slow motion. Cameras vary by size, resolution and Frames Per Second (fps. An example is the SA5-RV which is used in extreme environments where heat or vibration can't be managed.

The following list is an incomplete list of Photron-related camera models.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ flow visualization Ciampa, Kate. "Comparing high-speed video and Lightning Mapping Array observations to investigate the influence of ground strikes on lightning flash characteristics" (PDF). National Weather Center Research Experiences for Undergraduates Program, Norman, Oklahoma. Retrieved 28 August 2013.
  2. ^ flow visualization Ros, Ivo G. "Pigeons steer like helicopters and generate down and upstroke lift during low speed turns" (PDF). Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Concord Field Station, 100 Old Causeway Road, Bedford, MA 01730; and Department of Engineering, Harvey Mudd College, 301 Platt Boulevard, Claremont, CA 91711. Retrieved 30 August 2013. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  3. ^ flame propagation Chen, Xianfeng (2012). "Effect of CH4–Air Ratios on Gas Explosion Flame Microstructure and Propagation Behaviors". Energies. 5 (10). Energies 2012, 5, 4132-4146; doi:10.3390/en5104132: 4132–4146. doi:10.3390/en5104132.
  4. ^ ballistics Petel, Oren E. (2013). "The Effect of Particle Strength on the Ballistic Resistance of Shear Thickening Fluids". Applied Physics Letters. 102 (6): 064103. arXiv:1207.1022. Bibcode:2013ApPhL.102f4103P. doi:10.1063/1.4791785. S2CID 119280359.
  5. ^ firearm studies "Handgun Wounding Effects Due to Bullet Rotational Velocity" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 December 2013. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  6. ^ material science Arora, H. "Dynamic response of full-scale sandwich composite structures subject to air-blast" (PDF). Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2AZ. Retrieved 11 December 2011.
  7. ^ weapon developmentChu, Dr. Peter C. "Non-Cylindrical Mine Drop Experiment" (PDF). Seventh International Symposium on Technology and Mine Problem, NPS, Monterey, California, USA. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  8. ^ biological scienceAnderson first Christopher V. (2010). "Ballistic tongue projection in chameleons maintains high performance at low temperature" (PDF). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 107 (12): 5495–5499. Bibcode:2010PNAS..107.5495A. doi:10.1073/pnas.0910778107. PMC 2851764. PMID 20212130. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
  9. ^ biophysicsChandramohanadas, Rajesh. "Biophysics of Malarial Parasite Exit from Infected Erythrocytes" (PDF). Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology Centre, Singapore. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
  10. ^ vehicle impact studies (crash safety) Munsch, Marie. "Lateral Glazing Characterization Under Head Impact: Experimental and Numerical Investigation" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Corporate Profile - History, Photron, 2023, retrieved December 30, 2023
  12. ^ a b c Notice of Acquisition of Shares of Photonic Lattice, Inc. by Photron Limited, Photonic Lattic Press Release, November 16, 2020, retrieved December 30, 2023
  13. ^ Keller, John (November 5, 2013), "High-speed camera for ballistics testing, fluidics, biomechanics, and sports offered by Photron", Military Aerospace Electronics, retrieved December 30, 2023
  14. ^ "Photron to showcase miniature high-speed camera at SPIE Photonics West 2016", Laser Focus World, January 18, 2016, retrieved December 30, 2023
  15. ^ "Photron's high-speed camera wins "Crash Test Innovation of the Year" award". Laser Focus World Magazine. 18 December 2007. Retrieved 18 December 2007.
  16. ^ "Photron APX-RX Camera Nabs Japan SME Award". Photonics Media. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2018.
  17. ^ "Photron Camera Honored by Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers". Quality Magazine. Retrieved January 23, 2008.
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