Invention:
Researchers at the University of Arizona have designed a polarization plenoptic camera that can record position, angle, wavelength, polarization and time, all in a single shot. Because of the novel application of polarizers, it can separate reflected light from transmitted light for a given surface, enable imaging of objects that are not in the direct line of sight or are occluded by turbulent media, and improve the signal to noise ration, without blur. Applications include 3D reconstruction, material property identification of objects, and reconnaissance.
Background:
Light field cameras take measurements of position, angle, wavelength, and time. However, to incorporate polarization information in conventional systems, a series of polarizers are placed in front of the light source, meaning they cannot get full information in a single shot. The consequence is that the object of interest may move across the field of view during the image acquisition period.
Applications:
- Material identification
- Reconnaissance
- 3D construction of an image
Advantages:
- Measures all information in real-time, including position, angle, wavelength, polarization, and time
- Measures polarization without requiring separate polarizers or separate image frames
- Improves the SNR of information relative to current light field cameras
Status: issued U.S. patent #10,783,652
