Abstract
We report the first computational super-resolution imaging using a camera array at longwave infrared wavelengths combined with the first demonstration of video-rate multi-camera integral imaging at these wavelengths. We employ an array of synchronized FLIR Lepton cameras to record video-rate data that enables light-field imaging capabilities, such as 3D imaging and recognition of partially obscured objects, while also providing a four-fold increase in effective pixel count. This approach to high-resolution imaging enables a fundamental reduction in the track length and volume of LWIR imaging systems, while also enabling use of low-cost lens materials.
Highlights
The application of multi-camera and multi-aperture imaging for light-field imaging and computational integral-imaging reconstruction (CIIR) [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10] provides additional 3D-imaging capabilities such as imaging through obscurants and novel ‘refocusing’ techniques
For 2D imaging, super-resolution (SR) [11] of recorded images offers more compact imaging systems with a shorter optical track length, lower weight and lower cost than equivalent imaging systems employing a single aperture [12,13,14]. This is of particular interest in longwave infrared (LWIR) wavelengths (8-12 μm), where the corresponding more compact and thinner optics enables the use of lower cost materials [15]
We report here the application of the processes with the 6x LWIR multi-aperture system described above, for registration and CIIR-SR reconstruction for imaging of three scenes: (a) static objects at a known distance to provide for a qualitative and quantitative demonstration of the resolution improvement achieved by computational SR; (b) multiple static objects at several distances showing the simultaneous CIIR-SR digital refocusing capabilities in a static scenario; (c) a dynamic scene demonstrating the full capability of 4D LWIR imaging by performing a video-rate volumetric reconstruction of people at dissimilar ranges
Summary
The application of multi-camera and multi-aperture imaging for light-field imaging and computational integral-imaging reconstruction (CIIR) [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10] provides additional 3D-imaging capabilities such as imaging through obscurants and novel ‘refocusing’ techniques. In contrast to monolithic integrated systems [20], arbitrary baselines and angular resolution can be designed, where the camera apertures and spacing can be much greater than the dimensions of a single detector array, to enable optimizations of field of view, imaging through obscurations and depth-estimation sensitivity ( to multiple-baseline stereo [21]).
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