Translation-invariant object recognition system using an optical correlator and a super-parallel holographic random access memory

Abstract

We demonstrate a translation-invariant VanderLugt correlator (VLC) for a set of images stored via holographic angle multiplexing of volume gratings in a polymeric substrate. The images read out from the volume gratings are optically correlated in a translation-invariant manner with a dc-suppressed holographic filter. The quality and efficiency of this correlator are observed to be nearly as good as that of another VLC with images directly from a spatial light modulator used as inputs. This experiment is the first step toward realizing a novel optical image recognition system capable of identifying a query image through an exhaustive search in a large database of filter images stored in an ultrahigh capacity superparallel holographic random access memory (SPHRAM). In this system, the identification of the query image is to be performed with a translation invariant, real-time VLC or a joint transform correlator (JTC).