Deepwater imaging device
By improving the optical design and structure of the deep-sea imaging device, the problems of low underwater imaging resolution and equipment adhesion were solved, achieving high-definition underwater image acquisition and equipment stability.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- SHENYANG LIGONG UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2025-06-13
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-15
AI Technical Summary
The problems include low resolution of underwater imaging and the inability of imaging equipment to resist attachment of deep-sea marine organisms.
The deep-sea imaging device employs sapphire glass, optical modules, a liquid crystal spatial light modulator, and a microcontroller. It adjusts the light polarization state through a liquid crystal aperture, corrects chromatic aberration using a cemented lens, and features a waterproof shell to reduce deposits and grooves to reduce turbulence effects.
It improves the clarity of underwater imaging, enhances the equipment's resistance to pressure in deep water environments, reduces scattering noise caused by suspended particles and the attachment of marine organisms, and ensures image quality.
Smart Images
Figure CN224249771U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of underwater imaging technology, specifically a deep-water imaging device. Background Technology
[0002] Underwater imaging is a crucial tool for exploring underwater environments such as oceans and lakes, and it is widely used in various fields including marine exploration, underwater rescue, and aquaculture. However, due to the complexity of the underwater environment, current underwater imaging technology faces two main challenges that urgently need to be addressed:
[0003] Firstly, due to the special nature of the underwater environment, the refractive index of water differs from that of air. The diffuse reflection effect of water and suspended particles can cause scattering and absorption of light signals, resulting in low underwater imaging resolution, which needs to be optimized and improved.
[0004] Secondly, due to the complex deep-sea environment, huge water pressure, and numerous seabed turbulence, current imaging equipment cannot effectively resist the attachment of deep-sea marine organisms. Utility Model Content
[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a deep-water imaging device to solve the problem of clear imaging by underwater cameras.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a deep-sea imaging device, comprising a waterproof housing, wherein sapphire glass, an optical assembly module, an industrial camera, a liquid crystal spatial light modulator, and a microcontroller are sequentially installed from front to back inside the waterproof housing; the optical assembly module comprises a front lens, a liquid crystal aperture, and a rear lens arranged sequentially from front to back, and the liquid crystal aperture is electrically connected to the liquid crystal spatial light modulator.
[0007] Preferably, the waterproof outer shell is provided with a fixing device for connecting to the hull; the fixing device includes an aluminum alloy bracket and a flexible shock-absorbing base connected together, the flexible shock-absorbing base is installed on the waterproof outer shell, and the aluminum alloy bracket is detachably connected to the hull.
[0008] Preferably, the front lens group includes a first lens, a second lens, a third lens, a fourth lens, and a fifth lens arranged sequentially. The first lens is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used to control the angle of incident light rays and initially correct field curvature and astigmatism. The second lens is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used to further correct field curvature and astigmatism, and works with the first lens to control the direction of light rays. The third lens is a meniscus positive lens with its convex surface facing the image side, used to begin converging light rays and continue aberration balancing. The fourth lens is a biconvex positive lens, used to improve optical power and converge light rays. The fifth lens is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used to finely correct field curvature.
[0009] Preferably, the rear lens group includes a first cemented group and a second cemented group. The first cemented group includes a sixth lens and a seventh lens, and the second cemented group includes an eighth lens and a ninth lens. Both the first cemented group and the second cemented group are used to correct positional chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration, and to correct spherical aberration.
[0010] Preferably, the diameter of the through hole of the liquid crystal aperture is 2.8 mm.
[0011] Preferably, the outer wall of the waterproof outer shell is covered with grooves to create a turbulence effect.
[0012] Preferably, the outer wall of the waterproof outer shell is arc-shaped.
[0013] Preferably, the material of the first lens is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the second lens is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the third lens is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the fourth lens is HQK3L_CDGM; the material of the fifth lens is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the sixth lens is HZF52_CDGM; the material of the seventh lens is HZPK1_CDGM; the material of the eighth lens is HLAF52_CDGM; and the material of the ninth lens is HZF62_CDGM.
[0014] Preferably, the system focal length of the optical module is 3.8mm, the F number is 3; the operating wavelength range of the optical module is 480nm~700nm; the field of view of the optical module is 2×41.64°; the entrance pupil diameter of the optical module is 1.267mm; and the designed object distance of the optical module is 170mm.
[0015] Preferably, the sapphire glass has a diameter of 50mm, a thickness of 16mm, a light transmittance of greater than 92%, and a Mohs hardness of 9.
[0016] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of this utility model are:
[0017] Through a specially designed optical path structure, the entire deep-sea camera can adjust the polarization state of light by changing the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal light valve, thereby suppressing backscattering noise caused by suspended particles. By utilizing cemented lenses, chromatic aberration is minimized or eliminated. This effectively improves image quality, reduces light energy reflection loss, and thus enhances the sharpness of the lens image.
[0018] By designing an arc-shaped waterproof outer shell, pressure resistance is increased while water resistance is reduced. Grooves are added to the waterproof shell to create a micro-turbulent effect, making it difficult for barnacle larvae to attach stably. Attached Figure Description
[0019] Figure 1This is a cross-sectional view of the deep-water imaging device of this utility model.
[0020] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the deep-water imaging device of this utility model.
[0021] Figure 3 This is an external view of the deep-sea imaging device of this utility model.
[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the optical assembly module of this utility model.
[0023] Figure 5 This is the MTF curve of the entire operating band of this utility model.
[0024] Figure 6 This is a dot plot of the full operating bands of this utility model.
[0025] Figure 7 This is a field curvature distortion diagram for the entire operating band of this utility model.
[0026] Figure 8 This is the relative illuminance curve for the full working wave of this utility model.
[0027] 1. Sapphire glass; 2. Optical assembly module; 21. First lens; 22. Second lens; 23. Third lens; 24. Fourth lens; 25. Fifth lens; 26. Sixth lens; 27. Seventh lens; 28. Eighth lens; 29. Ninth lens; 3. Industrial camera; 4. Liquid crystal spatial light modulator; 5. Microcontroller; 6. Waterproof housing; 7. Aluminum alloy bracket; 8. Flexible shock-absorbing base; 9. Liquid crystal aperture. Detailed Implementation
[0028] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.
[0029] Please see Figure 1-4 This utility model provides a technical solution: a deep-sea imaging device, including a waterproof shell 6, in which sapphire glass 1, an optical assembly module 2, an industrial camera 3, a liquid crystal spatial light modulator 4 and a microcontroller 5 are installed sequentially from front to back.
[0030] The sapphire glass 1 has a diameter of 50mm, a thickness of 16mm, a light transmittance greater than 92%, and a Mohs hardness of 9. Sapphire glass has high hardness and strong compressive strength, allowing it to operate in deep water. It also has good wear resistance, reducing scratches from underwater sand and gravel.
[0031] The optical module 2 includes a front lens, a liquid crystal stop 9, and a rear lens arranged sequentially from front to back, with the liquid crystal stop 9 positioned between the front and rear lenses. The optical module 2 has a system focal length of 3.8 mm, an F-number of 3, an operating wavelength range of 480 nm to 700 nm, a field of view diagonal of 2 × 41.64°, an entrance pupil diameter of 1.267 mm, and a designed object distance of 170 mm.
[0032] The optical module 2 has a system focal length of 3.8mm and an F-number of 3; the operating wavelength range of the optical module 2 is 480nm~700nm; the field of view diagonal of the optical module 2 is 2×41.64°; the entrance pupil diameter of the optical module 2 is 1.267mm; and the designed object distance of the optical module 2 is 170mm.
[0033] The distance between the front and rear lenses of the optical module 2 is 36.488 mm, and the rear lens points to the image plane at 5.2 mm.
[0034] The liquid crystal aperture 9 is electrically connected to the liquid crystal spatial light modulator 4. By changing the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal aperture 9 through the liquid crystal spatial light modulator 4, the polarization state of the incident light is adjusted, thereby suppressing backscattering noise caused by suspended particles. The diameter of the through-hole in the liquid crystal aperture 9 is 2.8 mm.
[0035] The front lens group includes a first lens 21, a second lens 22, a third lens 23, a fourth lens 24, and a fifth lens 25 arranged sequentially. The first lens 21 is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used to control the angle of the incident light rays and to initially correct field curvature and astigmatism. The second lens 22 is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used to further correct field curvature and astigmatism, and works with the first lens 21 to control the direction of the light rays. The third lens 23 is a meniscus positive lens with its convex surface facing the image side, used to begin converging the light rays and to continue aberration balancing. The fourth lens 24 is a biconvex positive lens used to improve optical power and converge the light rays. The fifth lens 25 is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used to finely correct field curvature.
[0036] The rear lens group includes a first cemented group and a second cemented group. Cemented lenses can be used to minimize or eliminate chromatic aberration. Using cemented lenses in optical lenses can improve image quality and reduce light energy reflection loss, thereby enhancing the sharpness of the image. The first cemented group includes a sixth lens 26 and a seventh lens 27, and the second cemented group includes an eighth lens 28 and a ninth lens 29. Both the first and second cemented groups are used to correct positional chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration, and to correct spherical aberration. Specifically, the sixth lens 26 is a biconcave negative lens; the seventh lens 27 is a biconvex positive lens; the eighth lens 28 is a biconvex positive lens; and the ninth lens 29 is a meniscus positive lens with its convex surface facing the image side.
[0037] The material of the first lens 21 is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the second lens 22 is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the third lens 23 is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the fourth lens 24 is HQK3L_CDGM; the material of the fifth lens 25 is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the sixth lens 26 is HZF52_CDGM; the material of the seventh lens 27 is HZPK1_CDGM; the material of the eighth lens 28 is HLAF52_CDGM; and the material of the ninth lens 29 is HZF62_CDGM.
[0038] The waterproof outer shell 6 is equipped with a fixing device for connecting to the hull. The fixing device includes a connected aluminum alloy bracket 7 and a flexible shock-absorbing base 8. The flexible shock-absorbing base 8 is installed on the waterproof outer shell 6, and the aluminum alloy bracket 7 is detachably connected to the hull. During installation, precise positioning is achieved through a magnetic quick-connect assembly and a pre-embedded stainless steel base on the hull bottom. Combined with an adjustable angle universal joint structure, it can adapt to the bottom curvature of different hull types such as monohulls and catamarans. This ensures the mounted equipment maintains a stable posture during ship navigation, avoiding image quality degradation caused by system shaking due to underwater turbulence and other factors.
[0039] The outer wall of the waterproof outer shell 6 is covered with grooves to create a turbulence effect, thereby reducing deposits. The outer wall of the waterproof outer shell 6 is arc-shaped to reduce drag.
[0040] Working principle: Light enters through sapphire glass 1, and the liquid crystal spatial light modulator 4 changes the arrangement of liquid crystal molecules in the liquid crystal aperture 9, thereby adjusting the polarization state of the incident light and suppressing backscattering noise caused by suspended particles. Image acquisition is performed by an industrial camera 3, which is connected to a microcontroller 5. The acquired images are transmitted to the microcontroller 5 in real time for processing, thereby optimizing image quality.
[0041] Please refer to Figure 5The figure shows the MTF curves of the underwater optical imaging system in the embodiment across the entire operating band. It can be seen from the figure that in the spatial frequency range within the Nyquist frequency of 145 lp / mm, the on-axis field of view MTF > 0.5 and the edge field of view MTF > 0.4, indicating that the lens has good imaging quality.
[0042] Please refer to Figure 6 The figure shows a dot plot of the underwater optical imaging system in the embodiment, covering the entire operating band. It can be seen from the figure that the RMS of the imaging spot at each field of view is less than 3.088 μm, indicating that the lens has good imaging quality.
[0043] Please refer to Figure 7 The figure shows the field curvature distortion of the underwater optical imaging system in the embodiment across all operating bands. It can be seen from the figure that the maximum distortion of the lens is <5% at each field of view, indicating that the lens has good imaging quality.
[0044] Please refer to Figure 8 The relative illumination curve of the underwater optical imaging system in this embodiment is shown in the full working wave. It can be seen that, under the maximum field of view, the relative illumination at the edge of the system is better than 90%, indicating that the lens has good imaging quality.
Claims
1. A deep-sea imaging device, characterized in that: It includes a waterproof housing (6), and inside the waterproof housing (6) are installed sapphire glass (1), optical assembly module (2), industrial camera (3), liquid crystal spatial light modulator (4) and microcontroller (5) in sequence from front to back; The optical assembly module (2) includes a front lens, a liquid crystal aperture (9) and a rear lens arranged sequentially from front to back, and the liquid crystal aperture (9) is electrically connected to the liquid crystal spatial light modulator (4).
2. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The waterproof outer shell (6) is provided with a fixing device to connect to the hull; The fixing device includes an aluminum alloy bracket (7) and a flexible shock-absorbing base (8) connected to each other. The flexible shock-absorbing base (8) is installed on the waterproof shell (6), and the aluminum alloy bracket (7) is detachably connected to the hull.
3. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The front group of lenses includes a first lens (21), a second lens (22), a third lens (23), a fourth lens (24) and a fifth lens (25) arranged in sequence. The first lens (21) is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used to control the angle of the incident light and to initially correct field curvature and astigmatism. The second lens (22) is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side. It is used to continue to correct field curvature and astigmatism, and works with the first lens (21) to control the direction of light rays. The third lens (23) is a meniscus positive lens with its convex surface facing the image side, used to begin converging light rays and continue aberration balance; The fourth lens (24) is a biconvex positive lens, used to improve optical power and converge light rays; The fifth lens (25) is a meniscus negative lens with its concave surface facing the object side, used for fine correction of field curvature.
4. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The rear lens group includes a first cemented group and a second cemented group. The first cemented group includes a sixth lens (26) and a seventh lens (27). The second cemented group includes an eighth lens (28) and a ninth lens (29). Both the first cemented group and the second cemented group are used to correct positional chromatic aberration and magnification chromatic aberration, and to correct spherical aberration.
5. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The diameter of the through hole of the liquid crystal aperture (9) is 2.8 mm.
6. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the waterproof outer shell (6) is covered with grooves to create a turbulence effect.
7. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer wall of the waterproof outer shell (6) is arc-shaped.
8. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The material of the first lens (21) is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the second lens (22) is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the third lens (23) is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the fourth lens (24) is HQK3L_CDGM; the material of the fifth lens (25) is HZF62_CDGM; the material of the sixth lens (26) is HZF52_CDGM; the material of the seventh lens (27) is HZPK1_CDGM; the material of the eighth lens (28) is HLAF52_CDGM; and the material of the ninth lens (29) is HZF62_CDGM.
9. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical module (2) has a system focal length of 3.8 mm and an F-number of 3. The optical combination module (2) operates in the wavelength range of 480nm to 700nm; The field of view of the optical module (2) is 2×41.64°; The entrance pupil diameter of the optical module (2) is 1.267 mm. The optical module (2) is designed with an object distance of 170mm.
10. The deep-sea imaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The sapphire glass (1) has a diameter of 50 mm, a thickness of 16 mm, a light transmittance of more than 92%, and a Mohs hardness of 9.