Oblique Scanning Camera With Tilted Mirror
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current high-altitude wide-area imaging systems are not optimized for oblique imaging and multi-view imaging, leading to inefficiencies in capturing high-resolution images of large areas with varying angles, which is crucial for regular updates of georeferenced aerial imagery and 3D surface models.
Innovation Solution
A scanning camera system with a scanning mirror tilted relative to the camera optical axis, capable of rotating about a spin axis to capture oblique images along curved scan paths, and a dual-scan scanning camera system capturing images along opposed non-linear scan paths to achieve multi-view imaging with nadir and oblique views from different directions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high-altitude wide-area imaging is used to efficiently image large areas, then imaging efficiency and coverage area are improved, but image resolution and multi-view imaging quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is divided into multiple independent image sensors arranged in a array, with each sensor capturing images of different areas. This segmentation allows the system to maintain high resolution for each individual sensor while collectively covering large areas, resolving the contradiction between imaging efficiency and image resolution.
2Device complexity
If traditional scanning design with perpendicular scanning direction is used, then scanning mechanism simplicity is improved, but oblique imaging capability and multi-view imaging quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning mirror is tilted at a specific angle (e.g., 45 degrees) relative to the optical axis, creating an asymmetric scanning path that enables oblique imaging. This asymmetric configuration allows the system to capture images at various angles while maintaining a relatively simple scanning mechanism, thus resolving the contradiction between mechanism simplicity and oblique imaging capability.
3Reliability
If regular updates of aerial imagery are performed to capture constant changes in built environment, then data freshness is improved, but operating cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The imaging system is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: it captures high-resolution images, generates orthomosaics, creates 3D surface models, and provides multi-view imaging all through a single integrated platform. This multi-functionality reduces the need for multiple separate imaging missions, thereby lowering operating costs while maintaining data freshness for regular updates.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables efficient capture of high-resolution, multi-view images with varied angles, facilitating accurate 3D surface modeling and orthomosaic generation, while minimizing operational costs and improving imaging efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
the scanning mirror is tilted relative to the camera optical axis and positioned to reflect an imaging beam into the lens
Implementation Method 2
the lens is positioned to focus the imaging beam onto the image sensor
Data Source
AI summary
A scanning camera for capturing a set of oblique images along a curved scan path on an object plane within an area of interest, each image of the set of images associated with a viewing angle and a viewing direction relative to the object plane, the scanning camera comprising an image sensor; a lens; a scanning mirror; and a drive coupled to the scanning mirror; wherein the drive is operative to rotate the scanning mirror about a spin axis according to a spin angle; the spin axis is tilted relative to a camera optical axis; the scanning mirror is tilted relative to both the camera optical axis and the spin axis and positioned to reflect an imaging beam into the lens, a viewing angle and a viewing direction of the imaging beam relative to the object plane varying with the spin angle; the camera optical axis is tilted at an oblique angle relative to the object plane; the lens is positioned to focus the imaging beam onto the image sensor; and the image sensor is operative to capture each image by sampling the imaging beam at a corresponding value of the spin angle corresponding to the viewing angle and the viewing direction of the image.