Improved Resolving Power For Non-Imaging Optical Elements

Abstract

For mosaic images created by a multiaperture optical system each optical element forms one pixel of the image, meaning the total field of view of an additional optical element is described by one pixel only. This requires a large number of optical elements for a multiaperture system, e.g., the common housefly has 20,000 eyelets. For artificial systems it is desirable to reduce this number. In this paper it is shown that this is possible by proper detector design, even if non-imaging optical elements (light horns) are used. This is accomplished by analyzing the symmetry of the output of the light horn, and so subdividing the field of view of the individual eyelet into more than one pixel. The paper analyzes the achievable resolving power as a function of cone angle and length of the light horn used. The result of these computations are experimentally verified for two object points. The detector designed for this purpose is a cylindrical cavity, the wall of which is lined with an appropriate number of detector arrays. The angular resolution information is derived from an intensity ratio of corresponding detector outputs at various penetration depths. The detector design described allows improved image quality for a multiaperture device having a given number of elements. Since the design is similar to the anatomy of the rhabdom of the insect eye, it also sheds some light on the function of this organ.© (1988) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.