Design and characterization of thin multiple aperture infrared cameras

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Infrared Technology
• Image Processing

Background:

• Traditional infrared cameras often face limitations in thickness and form factor.
• The development of compact, high-performance thermal imaging systems is crucial for various applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and build a significantly thinner multiple-aperture long-wave infrared (LWIR) camera.
• To evaluate the imaging performance and thermal sensitivity of the novel camera design.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an uncooled microbolometer array for thermal detection.
• Implemented a multiple-aperture optical system with an f/1.2 design and 6.15 mm effective focal length.
• Employed correlation-based registration and a least gradient reconstruction algorithm for image integration.

Main Results:

• Achieved a camera thickness of only 5 mm for the optical system.
• Measured a noise-equivalent temperature difference (NETD) of 131 mK, indicating high thermal sensitivity.
• Demonstrated the recovery of contrast for high spatial frequencies beyond individual subimage aliasing limits through multichannel interpolation.

Conclusions:

• The developed multiple-aperture LWIR camera offers a substantial reduction in thickness without compromising thermal imaging performance.
• The image reconstruction techniques effectively overcome aliasing limitations, enabling enhanced spatial frequency analysis.
• This compact LWIR camera design holds promise for applications requiring miniaturized thermal imaging solutions.