BOSSA NOVA Vision is a small company founded in 2018 located in Los Angeles that develops polarization imaging technology to measure fiber orientation. Their RUMBA system uses polarized near-infrared light and imaging to extract the orientation of fibers like hair from a polarization signature. It provides quantitative data on fiber straightness and alignment through metrics like the straightness coefficient. The system enables in-vivo and in-vitro hair analysis with applications in hair product testing and development.

1. 5777 W. Century Blvd
Suite 205 - LOS ANGELES
CA 90045 USA
Tel: +1 (424)-393-4011
Fax: +1 (310) 943-3280
RUMBA
BOSSA NOVA VISION, California
Robert George - Sebastien Breugnot
Polarization imaging for
fiber orientation measurement
www.bossanovavision.com
info@bossanovavision.com

2. 2
Overview of Bossa Nova Vision
BOSSA NOVA Vision, formerly BOSSA NOVA
Technologies, is a LLC (Limited Liability
Company) founded in 2018, located in Los
Angeles, USA
Small business of 4 people specialized in
optics, electronics, imaging and software
development (3 PhDs, 1 Engineer)
LAX
Los Angeles
International Airport

3. Spatial distribution
and straightness of hair fibers
Existing technique :
Fiber/Hair Orientation Measurement
→ conventional imaging + image analysis/image processing
New technique :
Measurement of physical parameter related to the
orientation of the fiber using polarization analysis/imaging
→ based on the polarization signature of the internal
reflection in birefringent fibers
Shape & Alignment of hair

4. Fiber orientation
extraction/display
Camera
Infrared LED
+
polarizer
Polarization imaging
for fiber orientation measurement
RUMBA System

5. Acquisition of
raw images
< 1 second
Extraction of
modulated
signal pixel
by pixel
Deduction of
angle θ pixel
by pixel
Color coding
of angle for
display pixel
by pixel
Extraction of
background
and fusion
Data analysis
/quantitative
data
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350
5
RUMBA System
Measurement process
Lechocinski, N & Breugnot, S. (2011). Fiber orientation measurement using polarization imaging
Journal of cosmetic science. 62. 85-100.

6. 6
Intensity image (NIR*)
* Near Infra-Red
Color coded Orientation image
Intensity (Visible)
Conventional Image
RUMBA uses NIR LEDs
→ even dark hair are transparent and can be measured
RUMBA System
Example of
in-vivo measurement (panelist)

7. 7
Hair
swatch
Background
RUMBA
Closed darkroom
RUMBA System
Lab Setup
Light Setup

8. 8
Threshold level
Low-intensity
background
subtraction
Noise / Background
Hair
tress
Background extraction

9. 9
ROI (Region Of Interest)
Color coded
Orientation image
Angle
(- 45o to + 45o)
Number of
pixel at this
angle
Histogram of angular distribution
in the ROI
1 1
2
2
≈ 1.5o
≈ 11,000 px
Data extraction

10. 10
Mean angle in
the ROI
Standard Deviation of
the angular distribution
in the ROI
Area covered
by the ROI MAX
Histogram MAX
Angle
Ratio
Min/Integral
Proportional
to 1/STDV
1
2
Data extraction
Straightness

11. MESSY HAIR STRAIGHTER HAIR
The histogram is thinner, the fiber are
better aligned
11
Data analysis (global ROI)

12. 12
The ROI can be divided into “boxes” and provides
spatial analysis of Mean Angle or STDV parameters
Spatial modulation of a wavy swatch is perfectly visible
as the evolution of the mean angle
Root
Tip
Box 1
Box 2
…
Box 20
Box number
Spatial analysis (global ROI)

13. 0
5000
10000
15000
20000
-45 -30 -15 0 15 30 45
PopulationinROI
Angle (o)
86 30
12 3.5
13
Straightness coefficient
Histogram Comparison

14. 27310386504030
3.5 6 9 12 15 18
21 24
14
Visualization of the straightness
coefficient (1/deg.)

15. Straightness and Alignment
analysis with RUMBA
On-going development on more advanced analysis
using the RUMBA hardware

16. • Straightness coefficient :
Try to quantify how straight the hair is (after
ironing for example). The more deviation to the
mean angle of the whole swatch there is, the less
straight the hair swatch is
• Alignment coefficient :
Try to quantify how aligned the hair is. For
example, well combed curly hair is aligned, but
not straight. For this, we need to compute local
straightness, and average the value over the
swatch
Straighter
More aligned, but not straighter
With the data that our RUMBA System provides,
we have now tried to come up with a metric for
2 important hair characteristics, Straightness
and Alignment, that we defined as below :
Straightness and Alignment

17. Problem :
The scaling of the coefficient was poor
273103
Example :
The coefficient is higher on
the second sample, which
correctly reflects an increase
in straightness, but the visual
difference is not correctly
quantified by the number
Straightness coefficient
“Old” coefficient

18. 𝟏 −
𝟏
𝟏𝟎𝟎
𝑺𝒕𝒅𝒆𝒗
+ 𝟏
𝟐
× 𝟏𝟎𝟎
The new coefficient still uses the standard deviation parameter used in the previous parameter, but adjust the scale.
With this new coefficient :
• Perfectly straight hair (Stdev = 0) :
corresponds to a straightness coefficient = 100
• Perfectly disorganized hair (Stdev = +) :
corresponds to a straightness coefficient = 0
The straightness coefficient is
now on a scale from 0 to 100
Straightness coefficient
“New” coefficient

19. For the alignment, a new image is computed using the standard orientation image from the RUMBA. It is
comparing each pixel orientation value to the orientation of the closest weighted by the distance between
them.
Example of images :
Blue = less aligned
(local straightness)
Red = better aligned
(local straightness)
Alignment
image
Orientation
image
Color-coded orientation
Color-coded alignment
0
100
The alignment coefficient is also on a scale from 0 to 100
Alignment coefficient

20. SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2
Straightness Alignment Straightness Alignment
Untreated
Straightness
=
20.68
Alignment
=
45.51
Straightness
= 4.13
Alignment
= 50.26
Treated
Straightness
=
13.05
Alignment
=
66.56
Straightness
= 5.58
Alignment
= 69.99
Alignment coefficient

21. SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 SAMPLE 3
Straightness
=
5.98
Alignment
=
3.34
Straightness
=
35.48
Alignment
=
83.34
Straightness
=
43.11
Alignment
=
66.71
SAMPLE 4 SAMPLE 5 SAMPLE 6
Straightness
=
11.6
Alignment
=
20.97
Straightness
=
55.48
Alignment
=
52.12
Straightness
=
94.11
Alignment
=
94.76
Visualization of the coefficients

22. 22
Extra processing - Side-software (beta)

23. 23
Extra processing - Side-software (beta)
 Straightness / Alignment coefficient
 Hair swatch “surface” measurement
 Spatial analysis

24. RUMBA
Conclusions
 RUMBA is a robust, turn-key system for fiber orientation
measurement
 Thanks to its complete lab setup, RUMBA provides
accurate and repeatable in-vivo and in-vitro measurements
 Advanced processing enables hair analysis related to
straightness and alignment of fibers
24

25. 5777 W. Century Blvd
Suite 205 - LOS ANGELES
CA 90045 USA
Tel: +1 (424)-393-4011
Fax: +1 (310) 943-3280
www.bossanovavision.com
info@bossanovavision.com
Thank you !
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feel free to contact us
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