Development of a modular, high-speed plenoptic-camera for 3D flow-measurement

This paper describes the development of a Modular Plenoptic Adaptor (MPA) for rapid and reversible conversion of high-speed cameras into plenoptic imaging systems, with the primary goal of enabling single-camera, time-resolved 3D flow-measurements. The MPA consists of a regular imaging lens, a microlens array, a tilt-adjustable microlens mount and an optical relay, which are collectively installed onto a high-speed camera through a standard lens mount. Each component within the system is swappable to optimize for specific imaging applications. In this study, multiple configurations of the MPA were tested and they demonstrated the ability to refocus and shift perspectives within high-speed scenes after capture. Additionally, the MPA demonstrated 3D reconstruction of captured scenes with <1% spatial error across a volume spanning approximately 50×30×50mm3. Finally, the MPA also demonstrated reconstruction of a 3D droplets-field with sufficient quality to support qualitatively accurate plenoptic particle image velocimetry (PPIV) calculations.