Resolution-enhanced 3D image correlator using computationally reconstructed integral images

In this paper, a novel resolution-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) image correlator using the computationally reconstructed integral images is proposed in order to extract target object’s 3D location data in a scene. Elemental images of the reference and target objects are picked up by lenslet arrays and using these elemental images, reference and target plane images are reconstructed on the output plane by means of a modified computational integral imaging reconstruction technique. Then, through cross-correlations between the reconstructed reference and the target plane images, 3D location data of the target object can be extracted from the correlation outputs. With the purpose of showing the feasibility of the proposed method, some computational and optical experiments on the target objects in space are carried out and the results are presented.