Laser induced diffuse reflectance imaging - Monte Carlo simulation of backscattering measured on the surface

Area of Science:

• Optics and photonics
• Computational physics
• Computer vision

Background:

• Diffuse reflectance, or backscattering, is crucial for understanding light interaction with media.
• Accurate modeling of photon transport is essential for simulating computer vision system measurements.
• Existing methods often simplify light incidence, potentially limiting simulation accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement a Monte Carlo simulation algorithm for photon trajectory computation in object-oriented R code.
• To model diffuse reflectance in semi-infinite homogeneous media, considering various optical and system parameters.
• To incorporate incident light beam angle and its effects on photon launch and beam distortion.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an object-oriented R code implementation of the Monte Carlo algorithm.
• Modeled photon flux leaving semi-infinite homogeneous media, collecting spatial photon flux.
• Incorporated incident angle calculations for photon launch and elliptic beam distortion, using Lambertian correction for intensity measurement.

Main Results:

• Developed a robust R package for simulating photon transport and diffuse reflectance.
• Successfully modeled the spatial photon flux profile and intensity along radii.
• Accounted for the influence of incident angle and refractive index on photon trajectories and beam shape.

Conclusions:

• The implemented Monte Carlo algorithm provides a flexible tool for simulating photon transport in optical media.
• The inclusion of incident angle effects enhances the realism of simulations for computer vision applications.
• The R package offers a readily available resource for researchers in optics, physics, and computer vision.