A three-channel miniaturized optical system for multi-resolution imaging

Abstract

Inspired by the natural compound eyes of insects, multichannel imaging systems embrace many channels that scramble their entire Field-Of-View (FOV). Our aim in this work was to attain multi-resolution capability into a multi-channel imaging system by manipulating the available channels to possess different imaging properties (focal length, angular resolution). We have designed a three-channel imaging system where the first and third channels have highest and lowest angular resolution of 0.0096° and 0.078° and narrowest and widest FOVs of 7° and 80°, respectively. The design of the channels has been done for a single wavelength of 587.6 nm using CODE V. The three channels each consist of 4 aspherical lens surfaces and an absorbing baffle that avoids crosstalk among the neighbouring channels. The aspherical lens surfaces have been fabricated in PMMA by ultra-precision diamond tooling and the baffles by metal additive manufacturing. The profiles of the fabricated lens surfaces have been measured with an accurate multi-sensor coordinate measuring machine and compared with the corresponding profiles of the designed lens surfaces. The fabricated lens profiles are then incorporated into CODE V to realistically model the three channels and also compare their performances with those of the nominal design. We can conclude that the performances of the two latter models are in a good agreement.