Aerial Camera Array for Spherical Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aerial photography systems mounted on aircraft are limited to capturing oblique and vertical photographs, restricting the capture of spherical imagery and requiring the aircraft to be within the camera's view, which limits the scope of the images taken.
Innovation Solution
An aerial image capturing device featuring a camera array operatively coupled to an aircraft, which extends below the aircraft to capture spherical images without the aircraft in view, using a moveable camera array base and synchronized shutter operation, and optionally includes a camera pointing straight up to capture the sky, merging images in post-processing to create a full sphere image.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the camera is mounted in a fixed position within the aircraft, then the camera structure is simple and easy to operate, but the camera cannot capture spherical imagery and is limited to oblique and vertical photographs
Solution Approach 1:
The camera system is divided into multiple individual cameras arranged in an array, with each camera capturing a specific portion of the spherical field of view. This segmentation allows the system to achieve full spherical coverage while maintaining relatively simple individual camera units that can be mounted in fixed positions within the aircraft.
Solution Approach 2:
Multiple camera feeds are merged and processed together to create a complete spherical image. The image processing system combines the individual images from each camera in the array, stitching them together to form a comprehensive spherical view that exceeds the capability of any single fixed-mounted camera.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the camera array extends below the aircraft, then spherical imagery can be captured without the aircraft in view, but the device structure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The camera array is nested within or integrated with the aircraft structure, with cameras positioned in compartments or bays of the aircraft fuselage. This nesting allows the camera array to extend the full spherical field of view while utilizing the aircraft's existing structural framework, reducing the need for separate complex mounting structures.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple cameras are used to capture spherical imagery, then complete coverage is achieved, but synchronization of image capture becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
A central control system provides feedback signals to synchronize the shutter operation of all cameras in the array. The system monitors and coordinates the timing of each camera, ensuring that all sensors capture images at the precise same moment, which is critical for creating accurate spherical panoramas without temporal distortion.
Data Source
AI summary
An aerial image capturing device is provided. The aerial image capturing device includes a camera array formed of multiple camera mounted to a camera array base. Aerial image capturing device further includes a mount for mounting the aerial image capturing device to the aircraft. The camera array base is moveably coupled to the mount by an actuating device, wherein the actuating device moves the camera array base away from and toward the mount. The movement of the camera array base allows for movement of the camera to a position to capture images without interference of the aircraft in the image. It also allows for moving the camera array into a position to not interfere with the landing gear. The aerial image capturing device may further include an image actuation device that synchronizes the image capturing of all of the cameras in the camera array.