- Short-wave infrared (SWIR) is typically defined as light in the 0.9–1.7μm wavelength range, or can also be in range of 0.7–2.5μm. Short-wave Infrared imaging (SWIR) refers to an advanced technique which is used for producing images based on radiation in the region of the electromagnetic spectrum invisible to the naked eye. SWIR imaging requires unique optical and electronic components capable of performing in the specific SWIR range.
- A large number of applications that are difficult or impossible to perform using visible light are possible using SWIR. When imaging in SWIR, water vapor, fog, other environment constraints and certain materials such as silicon are transparent. SWIR imagers are used in a large number of applications such as silicon inspection, laser beam profiling, hyperspectral imaging, chemical and plastics sensing, machine vision imaging, agricultural sensing, surveillance systems, and medical imaging. They are also intended for use in mobile phone facial recognition sensors, and autonomous vehicle imaging though obscured environments.
- Germany dominates the Europe SWIR market due to increasing research and development activities along with prevalence of majority of manufacturers.
- The hardware segment is projected to hold the largest share of approximately 48.75% in 2025. This leadership is attributed to the high demand for robust SWIR sensors, detectors, and camera systems in industrial automation, quality inspection, and biomedical imaging applications.
