WFCAM (the Wide Field Camera) consists of a camera, associated electronics and computing, plus a large optical system for the UK Infrared Telescope (UKIRT), including a secondary mirror and an auto-guiding system. It was built by the UK ATC and then installed on UKIRT on the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii in October 2004.  

The main aim of astronomy surveys is to study very large areas of sky but spend only a short amount of time at any given position. Gathering enough information to identify the most interesting objects for further study. 

WFCAM has a large field of view with four infrared detectors, generating a 4 million pixel image approximately every 5 seconds. To operate correctly, and to be sufficiently sensitive to the faint radiation coming from distant objects in the universe, the detectors must be cooled to -200°C and the entire assembly must be constructed inside a large aluminium vacuum vessel (also known as a cryostat).

​The primary purpose of WFCAM was to conduct the UKIRT Infrared Deep Sky Survey, a survey covering 7500 square degrees of the Northern​ hemisphere and able to detect sources 3 magnitudes fainter than previous infrared surveys. This allowed the survey to discover nearby brown dwarfs, some of the highest redshift quasars and understand the structure of our own galaxy. 

​Since UKIRT was taken over by the University of Hawaii, University of Arizona, NASA and Lockheed Martin in 2014, WFCAM has also been used for tracking near-Earth space debris and asteroids.