ASD Expert Tip: What is a remote cosine receptor and when would I use it?

Remote Cosine Receptors (RCR) are utilized for full hemispherical absolute energy measurements. This allows the spectroradiometer to directly measure the total full hemispherical irradiance being emitted by the sun or an artificial light source as well as the corresponding full hemispherical reflectant radiance. 

These measurements are particularly useful for modeling plant canopy and understory characteristics for agriculture and forestry applications to determine the total amount of energy being absorbed by the canopy and the amount of energy reaching the understory. RCR’s are used for albedo measurements and for image validation and ground-truthing when diffuse full hemispherical wide field of view irradiance and reflective radiance measurements are preferred. Diffuse downwelling irradiance measurements with an RCR can also be used in place of reflective white reference measurements as well as for dual beam spectroradometric configurations.

The ASD RCR is a fore optic designed to interface with the ASD FieldSpec spectroradiometer fiber optic cable and collect light energy with a 180-degree field of view through an optical diffusion disk.

Want to know if your application would benefit from a remote cosine receptor?