Spectabit Optics LLC's portfolio of schlieren and high speed imaging technologies is supported by a wealth of image processing experience. Schlieren imaging in particular can be greatly enhanced by specialized processing techniques for contrast enhancement, removal of grid artifacts, and laser speckle effects. Our proprietary SchlierenView software is an easy-to-use application that can perform real time schlieren image capture and enhancement with a range of common camera platforms.

SchlierenView screenshot
SchlierenView screenshot

Below are SchlierenView images showing digital schlieren of Mach diamonds from a compressed air nozzle (microsecond exposure), comparing the raw and real-time processed versions.

Raw image of Mach diamonds
Raw image of Mach diamonds (microsecond exposure)
Processed image of Mach diamonds
Background subtracted false-color image of Mach diamonds (microsecond exposure)

The more subtle acoustic emissions (Mach radiation) are much more clearly visible in the processed version.

Spectabit's PhD-level science team have developed software for numerous scientific imaging applications aside from schlieren imaging including particle image velocimetry, flow tagging velocimetry, interferometry, polarimetric imaging, thermal imaging, polarimetric thermal imaging, stereo imaging, digital holography, scanning light scattering, and scanning photoemission, from seconds to nanoseconds and microns to kilometers.