Optical Design for Underwater Television Viewing Systems

Abstract

The design of underwater television viewing systems is dictated to a large extent by the optical properties of the water and by the mechanical and dynamic constraints imposed on the sensor package by the application. The system design is usually also limited in lens selection to available commercial lenses. When the system designer includes the lens design as an integral part of the viewing system development, significant improvements in system performance can be achieved. This paper describes three lens designs which have been produced for three different underwater remote viewing applications: a remote controlled underwater inspection vehicle for offshore operations; a miniature underwater camera for internal inspection of water cooled nuclear reactors; and an underwater camera for submersibles, search systems, and work vehicle application. A unique feature of these lenses is the ability to orient the line of sight by rotatio of the optics rather than the camera. The added complexity of the optics in each case is more than offset by resulting advantages in the overall viewing system performance. The paper emphasizes the necessity for a system approach. which coordinates the design of the optics, sensor and illumination with other elements of the system to achieve optimum performance.