Abstract
In order to reduce the volume of a panoramic optical system, a four-channel infrared dual-band panoramic imager was designed using spatial multicamera image mosaicking. Each optical system of the imaging channel was designed in a double imaging configuration with an F-number of 2, working bands of MWIR 3 to 5 μm and LWIR 8 to 12 μm, and a full field of view (FOV) of 122 deg. By adopting refractive-diffractive hybrid optical elements and introducing aspheric designs, the system was made to achieve temperature compensation from −40 ° C to 60°C by means of optical passive athermalization. Results indicate that the system attained almost 100% cold stop efficiency. At the Nyquist frequency of 18 lp/mm, the modulation-transfer-function (MTF) of the MWIR system was higher than 0.70 at the edges of the FOV, whereas the MTF of LWIR system was greater than 0.35 for the same condition, both approaching the diffraction limit.
Highlights
With advancements in infrared (IR) detection technology, there is an increasing demand for high-performance optical systems, especially in modern military reconnaissance and space applications
panoramic imaging (PI) with 360 deg azimuth and 90 deg elevation angles was made possible with a five-channel panoramic optical system employing five spatially distributed objective lenses, each exceeding an field of view (FOV) of 90 deg.[5,6]
We present a four-channel dual-band IR PI optical system based on spatially distributed multiple lenses to capture scenes at different angles which are combined to form a panorama
Summary
With advancements in infrared (IR) detection technology, there is an increasing demand for high-performance optical systems, especially in modern military reconnaissance and space applications. Real-time tracking, and accurate target measurement have become a major focus in the development of optical systems.[1] Currently, most of the existing automotive systems achieve a 360-deg panorama in the horizontal direction by mechanical rotation of a platform. HGH infrared system designed a type of IR 360-deg panoramic alert infrared camera which can capture photos at 360 deg azimuth and 20 deg vertical viewing angle. Thales Optronique limited company researched a type of ARTEMIS IRST (Infrared Search and Track) named “Moon Goddess” where the system was designed using a distributed sensor structure.[4] The three sensors contained FPA composed to realize the panoramic imaging (PI) of azimuth 360 deg and 25 deg elevation angle, with no blind spots in the imaging area. PI with 360 deg azimuth and 90 deg elevation angles was made possible with a five-channel panoramic optical system employing five spatially distributed objective lenses, each exceeding an FOV of 90 deg.[5,6]
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