With last week's launch of the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, NASA is taking the first steps to send a new generation of astronauts to the moon. This mission is designed to map out the terrain of the moon, identify resources on or near the surface, and better understand the radiation environment - all with the goal of aiding in the design of a future lunar outpost.

Just before the launch, I wrote about how Kodak CCD Image Sensors will play a key role in this mission. But you may not know that this isn't the first time Kodak technology has been involved in a space mission to map the moon.

1960's Lunar Orbiter

In the mid 1960's, NASA was in a situation similar to where they are today - looking to send astronauts to the moon, but needing high-resolution images of the surface to evaluate potential landing sites for the Apollo missions. To get those images, NASA knew they would need to send spacecraft to the moon to map the lunar surface, but since the technology didn't exist then to use high-resolution digital sensors (as NASA is doing today with the LRO mission), they needed a different approach.

One that Kodak developed.

Imaging Unit of Lunar Orbiter

Looking at it now, the solution that was devised for these missions was really amazing. As described on NASA's web page for these missions, the imaging unit in these Lunar Orbiters consisted of a dual-lens camera (to capture both high- and low-resolution pictures), a film processing unit, a readout scanner, and a film handling apparatus. Film passed through the camera as the unit orbited the moon, capturing images of the lunar surface as it flew by. The film was then processed and scanned, and the images were then transmitted back to Earth - basically, the entire unit was a combination camera, mini-lab, and TV station.

All operating while orbiting the moon, over 200,000 miles from Earth.

First view of Earth taken from the moon (from Lunar Orbiter 1)

The Lunar Orbiter missions were an unqualified success, collectively photographing 99% of the moon's surface with a resolution of 60 meters or better, and providing the information needed for the safe landing of the Apollo missions. Today, one of these imaging cameras - made for a Lunar Orbiter mission that never flew - is on display as a part of the Technology Collection at the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. Todd Gustavson, curator of Technology from George Eastman House, has put together an excellent video podcast about this imaging system - be sure to check it out.

In 2004, the Kodak organization involved in this work was incorporated into the Space Systems Division of ITT, where they continue developing imaging systems for earth-orbiting satellites today. But through programs like the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (as well as other orbiters around Mars and Venus, plus the Space Shuttle and the International Space Station), Kodak still remains a key participant in the space program, providing world-class imaging technology that is used throughout the solar system.

Just as we have for over 40 years.

The KODAK KAF-1300 Image Sensor has been named one of the 25 Microchips That Shook the World in the May issue of IEEE Spectrum magazine.  IEEE Spectrum is the flagship publication of the IEEE, the world's largest professional technology association.  In this article, they highlight 25 semiconductor chips that were (in their words) "cutting-edge", "out of the box", and "ahead of their time".   And we're pretty excited that one of them is a CCD image sensor from Kodak.



The KODAK KAF-1300 Image Sensor is a 1.3 megapixel CCD that was used in the first SLR digital camera - the KODAK PROFESSIONAL Digital Camera System.  This camera, which combined Kodak electronics for image capture and processing with a Nikon film camera body, sparked the digital photography revolution.  In addition, the KAF-1300 image sensor used in this camera included technologies that served as the building blocks for the high-performance CCD devices Kodak sells today for both professional photography as well as other applied imaging markets.  

The full list of chips honored by IEEE Spectrum is very impressive, and includes the Intel 8088 Microprocessor (the predecessor to the CPU's used in almost all the world's PCs today), NAND Flash Memory (used today in SD storage cards and USB sticks), and the MP3 decoder used in the first portable media player (the predecessor to the iPod).  Plus the processor used in the Apple I computer (as well as Nintendo and Atari game units).  And the chip used in digital projectors and movie theaters around the world.  And the speech synthesizer chip from the Texas Instruments' Speak & Spell toy (used by E.T. to "phone home").  

Pretty rarified air, when you think about all of the advances that have taken place in semiconductor chips.

And not bad good company for a ground-breaking CCD from Kodak.

In different ways, people have been trying to predict the future since, well, there have been people.  At first, it was things like "should I plant now, or will a flood come?"  Later, it grew into entire industries, some based on things as simple as which numbers will come up when you roll a pair of dice.

Back in 1968, James R. Berry wrote an article for Mechanix Illustrated giving his idea of what life would be like 40 years later - in November, 2008.  Some of the predictions seem pretty interesting today - like "driving" to a business meeting 300 miles away in a computer-controlled car that travels at 250 mph, or the "intelligence pill" that increases "the production of enzymes controlling production of chemicals known to control learning and memory."  My wife assures me that I could use those.

Actually, it turns out that some of his predictions aren't that far off:  things like home computers, TV shopping, the development of a cashless society, and a time when "the world's information is available to you almost instantaneously."  But while he does mention the use of "TV phones," he largely seems to have missed the dramatic change in imaging that has been driven by digital technology - technology that allows you to have camera with you at almost any time, to take a picture of almost anything.

Think about how we capture and use images today, and how that is different from even just a few years ago.  See something interesting?  Pull out your camera - or your phone -and take a picture.  Then e-mail it to your friends for them to see.  Or post it to the Kodak Gallery.  Or to YouTube.  Or to your own private web site. 

Have it printed on paper, or a coffee mug, or a mousepad.  Use it as the wall paper on your computer.  Put it in a photo album.  Or in a Photo Book.

And that's just for personal imaging.  In commercial applications today, computers routinely use cameras to "see" products on an assembly line, either to guide the manufacturing process or for quality control inspection.  Scientists put digital cameras on microscopes to discover new structures in cells - or on satellites to monitor the weather on other planets.  And security - whether at a bank, an airport, or in your home - is completely different today with the ability to easily monitor multiple locations at the same time. 

Actually, it's possible that Berry would have written his article differently if he wrote it just one year later - because 1969 was the year that Willard Boyle and George Smith first invented CCD image sensor technology at AT&T Bell Labs.  CCDs are the basis for many types of modern imaging, ranging from digital cameras, camcorders, barcode readers, fax machines, and more.  This was the real start of the imaging revolution - providing easy access to image capture directly in a digital form.  Today, CCD and CMOS image sensors - like the ones made by Kodak - are the "eyes" of all kinds of digital cameras, letting people capture and share images anytime, anywhere.

Predicting the future can be a tricky job (just ask a meteorologist), so Berry actually did a pretty impressive job when he peered into his crystal ball back in 1968.  But the world today is different than it was in 1968 - and it will be different again forty years from now.  Any bets on what 2048 will look like? 

As for me, I'm still holding out for Holophotography - but I'm not holding my breath.

Do you remember the musical "Fiddler on the Roof"? At one point in the second act, the village is all excited about a newly-married couple's "New Arrival," with everyone stopping by their home to offer congratulations. By the end of the scene, however, you realize that the "New Arrival" in the family isn't a child - but a sewing machine (which can be pretty important if you are trying to set up shop as a tailor, like Motel was).

It's always exciting to welcome a new member of the family - even if that new member isn't a person. And lately, we've been popping some champagne of our own.

Last year, Kodak announced the KODAK KAI-01050 Image Sensor - a 1-megapixel image sensor based on a completely new technology - the KODAK TRUESENSE 5.5 micron Interline Transfer CCD Platform. In September, we announced the KODAK KAI-02150 Image Sensor, extending the use of this platform to a 1080p format device. Now, just a few months later, we are announcing another "New Arrival" to this family - a new 2-megapixel sensor targeted to industrial and applied imaging applications.

Of course, the performance of this new device - the KODAK KAI-02050 Image Sensor -is excellent, providing high-resolution and high-frame rate in a standard 4:3 aspect ratio. But what's really interesting is how all three members of this family share common features that help camera manufacturers bring their products to market more quickly.

KODAK KAI-01050, KAI-02050, and KAI-02150 Image Sensors

Since all of these devices share the same technology platform, their performance is very similar - they all basically respond the same way to light, require the same circuits to operate, and interface into a camera design the same way. That means that before we even ship out the first sample of this new sensor to camera manufacturers, they already have a really good idea of how it is going to perform. And they also know that they will be able to leverage electronics from cameras using the first two sensors in this family to build a camera using the third. 

We even took this a step further by using the same mounting package for all three sensors, standardizing the assignment of the electrical pins, and putting those pins in the same physical locations for each of these devices. That means that a camera designer can build a single electronics board to support all three sensors in this family - the pins from the sensors all line up, the sensor package is the same size, and the circuits will be already in place. And since we reserved one of the pins on the sensor as an "ID" pin, the camera can actually "read" which sensor is plugged in so it can load the right firmware (to drive that particular sensor) when the camera is turned on.

In the end, this is really all about doing a job faster and better. Because we used a common design for this sensor family, it makes it a lot easier for manufacturers to build cameras that use the new devices. That makes cameras available more quickly - so that customers can start taking advantage of the higher resolution, frame rate, and performance these new sensors provide to increase the productivity and efficiency of their work.

Having something new is great. But having it as part of the family is even better.

Just ask Motel, the tailor.

Regardless of the field, there always seems to be at least one name that represents "the best" - a person, or a company, or something else that provides the highest level of quality and performance that others strive to meet.

For automobiles, it's names like Rolls-Royce and Ferrari. For timepieces, Rolex. For jewelry, Tiffany.

In sports, you can talk about Ruth and Gehrig. Or Jordon and Dr. J. Or now, Phelps.

For fashion, it's Gucci or Armani (unless it's Project Runway). Violins? Stradivarius. Paintings? Picasso (although personally, I'm partial to Seurat).

Of course for imaging, it's Kodak.

But since imaging is such a broad area, there are other names that take on a special significance here as well. In the manufacture of cameras, for example, there is one name that has stood out for over 80 years as representing the highest levels of quality and craftsmanship - helping to make photography not just a science, but an art.

Leica.

Leica I camera

Leica actually invented the 35mm camera with the introduction of the Leica I, a handheld camera that was compact, convenient to use, and very reliable. Instead of working with bulky equipment, photographers now had the freedom to carry a high-quality camera with them almost anywhere, completely changing photojournalism and bringing stories to life in a way not possible before. In the 1950's, Leica introduced the M3, the first in a series of M cameras that are famous for their simplicity, and that work with a series of lenses legendary for their sharpness and quality. Leica cameras essentially become an "extension" of the photographer's hand and eye, allowing them the freedom to capture what they saw, rather than worry about how to actually take the picture.

LEICA M8.2 camera

In 2006, Leica brought their flagship M-series cameras into the digital age with the launch of the M8 - a digital rangefinder camera compatible with almost every M-series lens ever manufactured. And to make sure the image quality from this camera lived up to the demanding expectations of their customers, Leica built it around the best image sensor they could get.

One from Kodak.

Two years later, Leica has now made another breakthrough announcement - a new flagship product that is helping to establish a new era for the company.

Want to guess whose image sensor they are using?

KODAK KAF-37500 Image Sensor

The new KODAK KAF-37500 Image Sensor was developed specifically for use with the new Leica S2. Incorporating Kodak's latest CCD advancements (the same core technology that was used to develop our new 50 million pixel image sensor), the sensor clearly provides outstanding image quality, excellent color, and superb performance. But we added a few other things too - like microlenses to increase the sensor's light sensitivity, and an IR-absorbing glass in the sensor package. To say nothing of laying the pixels out in a completely new optical format for photography - one that is over 50% larger than traditional 35mm film.

As Leica moves to develop a new generation of digital products, there is one thing they can't afford to compromise - the quality that has been their hallmark for years. For the M8, they protected that legacy by working with KODAK Image Sensors, resulting in a camera that provides the image quality for which Leica has become famous. And for the S2, we were happy - and honored - to be able to work with them again.

Leica is known as being one of the best, a reputation they got over many years by working with the best.

Especially for their image sensors.

Remember when watching TV meant leaving time to let tubes warm up, banging the side of the set to make sure everything was working right, and then adding some aluminum foil to the antenna to try to make the picture a little better? When I was growing up in Buffalo, NY, if you used just the right amount of aluminum foil, shaped just the right way, on a day with just the right weather, you might be able to get Channel 12 in Erie, PA - so you could watch the Bills play at home on a Sunday (because back then, all home games were blacked out).

We've come a long way - aluminum foil has been replaced by cable, satellite dishes, and DVDs (and Blu-Ray); the tubes are all integrated circuits; and screens have grown from standard definition to 1080p, 16:9 widescreen displays. All in the search for better pictures - more natural, more lifelike, more realistic.

The move to HD resolutions has been a big part of that change - at 1080p resolution, televisions now have about 6 times the screen resolution of a standard resolution sets That's one of the reasons TV pictures look so much better today, especially on large screen sets - with so many more pixels on the screen, details in the image are sharper and more realistic. Just image how fast Golden Wheels Dubenion would have looked in HD.

But just having more pixels isn't enough - it's also important to know how each of those pixels perform. For a display, that's things like contrast ratio and refresh rate. But for the image sensor used to capture the image, it's understanding things like dynamic range, frame rate, image smear, and color fidelity. The specific requirements will vary by application - what's needed in a professional camera is more than what's needed in a consumer camcorder. But understanding these requirements up front is really important - otherwise, you end up with a sensor that has the right number of pixels, but the wrong overall performance.

The easiest way to deal with this is to develop the best technology you can - to meet the needs of the most demanding markets, and exceed expectations in others.

Last year, Kodak introduced a new technology platform for Interline Transfer CCDs that incorporates Kodak's best practices in image sensor design. This new platform reduces pixel size by almost 50%, doubles frame rate, and significantly improves image quality compared to the previous generation of technology. At that time, we also announced the first product to use this new technology - a 1k x 1k sensor targeted to industrial markets. Now, we're announcing the second - aimed right at HD applications.

The new device - the KODAK KAI-02150 Image Sensor - fully meets the 1080p standard for image capture: 1920 x 1080 pixels, progressive scan (that's the "p" in 1080p), and 60 frame per second readout (which is actually twice the frame rate of standard 1080p signals). Plus, it has the dynamic range, imaging performance, and color fidelity needed for high quality video - whether for broadcast or applied markets like medical imaging or traffic monitoring. And all at a size (2/3" optical format) that matches with lenses commonly used in these applications.

Developing the right technology base at the start makes it easy to leverage it across a number of markets. We've now announced two products based on this new technology platform, and might even have some more news about it before too long. But for now, we're pretty excited about being able to bring this new technology to HD markets.

And keeping the aluminum foil in the kitchen where it belongs