Lensless-camera Technology for Easily Adjusting Focus of Video Images after Image Capture

Nov 15, 2016 12:57 JST

Source: Hitachi, Ltd.

Enabling applications on mobile devices, vehicles, and robots, by reducing thickness and weight and improving performances

TOKYO, Nov 15, 2016 - (JCN Newswire) - Hitachi, Ltd. (TSE: 6501) today announced the development of a camera technology that can capture video images without using a lens and adjust focus after image capture by using a film imprinted with a concentric-circle pattern instead of a lens. This camera technology makes it possible to make a camera lighter and thinner since a lens is unnecessary and allow the camera to be more freely mounted in devices such as mobile devices and robots at arbitrary positions without imposing design restraints. Moreover, since it acquires depth information in addition to planar information, it is possible to reproduce an image at an arbitrary point of focus even after the image has been captured. Focus can be adjusted anytime to objects requiring attention, so Hitachi is aiming to utilize this technology in a broad range of applications such as work support, automated driving, and human-behavior analysis with mobile devices, vehicles and robots.

Figure: Principle of newly developed lensless camera technology

Figure: Principle of newly developed lensless camera technology
https://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_HitachiCammera1115.jpg

As for cameras mounted in mobile devices represented by smartphones and robots, which require designability, making them thinner and lighter while providing higher performance-without imposing restrictions on where they can be mounted-is being demanded. As a camera technology to meet that demand, there is an increasing anticipation of applying a technology called "computational photography"(1) which is a scheme used in an optical system under the presupposition that image processing will be used after images are captured. As a camera utilizing this technology, a light-field camera, which records position and direction of light beams simultaneously and whose focus can be adjusted after images are captured, is well-known. However, a light-field camera is considerably thick since it needs a special lens. On the other hand, a lensless camera which is thin and light because it has no lens has been developed. Even so, processing of images captured by the camera incurs a heavy computational load.

Aiming to overcome the difficulties described above, Hitachi has developed a camera technology-based on the principle of Moire fringes(2) (that are generated from superposition of concentric circles)-that combines a function for adjusting focus after images are captured in the same manner as a light-field camera and features of thinness and lightness of a lensless camera which computational load incurred by image processing is reduced to 1/300(3). The two main features of the developed camera technology are described as follows.

(1) Image processing technology using Moire fringes

A film patterned with concentric circles (whose interval narrow toward the edge of the film) is positioned in front of an image sensor, and the image of a shadow formed by a light beam irradiated onto the film is captured by the image sensor. During the image processing, a similar concentric-circle pattern is superimposed on the shadow and Moire fringes with spacing dependent on the incidence angle of a light beam are formed. By utilizing the Moire fringes, it is possible to capture images by simple and commonly used image processing called "Fourier transform"(4) (Figure).

(2) Focus adjustment technology of captured images

The focal position can be changed by changing the size of the concentric-circle pattern superimposed on the shadow formed on the image sensor by a light beam irradiated onto the film. By superposing the concentric-circle pattern by image processing after image capturing, the focal position can be adjusted freely.

To measure the performance of the developed technology, an experiment with a 1-cm2 image sensor and a film imprinted with a concentric-circle pattern positioned 1 mm from the sensor was conducted. The results of the experiment confirmed that video images could be captured at 30 frames per second(5) when a standard notebook PC was used for image processing.

To contribute to the "super-smart society"(6) based on IoT (Internet of Things) technologies, Hitachi is aiming to apply this newly developed lensless camera technology to all kinds of devices, starting with mobile devices, vehicles, and robots.

This camera technology will be presented at the International Workshop on Image Sensors and Imaging Systems (IWISS16) being held at the Tokyo Institute of Technology from November 17th to 18th, 2016.

(1) An imaging technology for creating functions-which have hitherto been impossible with cameras-by using an optical system based on the presupposition that recorded images are processed with a computer
(2) A pattern of coarse fringes expressed when orderly repeated patterns become overlapped in accord with the difference in the intervals between those repetitions
(3) Hitachi survey
(4) A mathematical operation by which a signal is transformed between a spatial frequency domain and a spatial domain
(5) Commonly used frame rate of video images in TV etc.
(6) A society in which (i) required products and services are provided to the only the people who need them at the required time, (ii) all the needs of society are meticulously satisfied so that all people can receive high-quality services, (iii) differences in ages, genders, regions, and languages are overcome, and (iv) everyone can live active and comfortable lives

Contact:

Hitachi Ltd
Corporate Communications
Tel: +81-3-3258-1111

Source: Hitachi, Ltd.
Sectors: Electronics

Related Press Release

Provision of the First Template Function Adapted to the IFRS Sustainability Disclosure Standards in Japan (IFRS S1 and S2) on the Sustainable Finance Platform

December 10 2024 18:16 JST

Fourteen new trains to drive first rail open access growth

December 09 2024 19:10 JST

Hitachi to supply Japan's first SF6-free 300 kV circuit-breakers to Chubu Electric Power Grid

December 09 2024 18:13 JST

Hitachi, NTT Com Successfully Demonstrate World's First Real-Time Data Synchronization Over 600 km Using Storage
Virtualization Technology and IOWN APN

December 09 2024 11:00 JST

Hitachi Energy to integrate ScottishPower wind farm to power almost one million homes in the United Kingdom

November 29 2024 11:54 JST

Hitachi Receives an Order for All 147 Elevators and Escalators for the Second Phase of the Taipei MRT Wanda-Zhonghe-Shulin Line

November 28 2024 21:20 JST

Hitachi High-Tech Launches DCR Etch System 9060 Series, Supporting Isotropic Etching of Advanced 3D Devices at the Atomic Level

November 28 2024 10:31 JST

Hitachi: Established the Open Source Program Office (OSPO) to Globally Lead the Strategic Utilization of OSS

November 11 2024 09:31 JST

Hitachi High-Tech and University of Tokyo Promote Joint Research for the Practical Application of High-resolution Laser-PEEM in the Semiconductor Field

November 07 2024 17:19 JST

Hitachi helps First Bus move closer to 2035 Net Zero goal

October 23 2024 15:08 JST

More Press release >>

Latest Press Release

Mitsubishi Motors Cumulative Production Reaches One Million Units in Indonesia
Dec 20, 2024 17:35 JST

Contract Renewed on Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Services for APM System at Washington Dulles International Airport
Dec 20, 2024 17:24 JST

Toyota Launches Alphard and Vellfire PHEV Models in Japan
Dec 20, 2024 15:38 JST

6G Begins! Embarking on a New Journey of Global Interoperable Standards
Dec 19, 2024 16:50 JST

MI LNG Company to Change Corporate Name to MILES
Dec 19, 2024 13:49 JST

Two Honda 0 Series Prototype Models to Premiere at CES 2025
Dec 19, 2024 12:30 JST

Honda Presents World Premiere of Honda S+ Shift, Next-generation e:HEV Technology
Dec 19, 2024 12:13 JST

NEC Completes new Asia Pacific submarine cable
Dec 19, 2024 12:02 JST

Enablement of JCB Contactless Payment at All NJ TRANSIT Contactless Bus and Light Rail Validators in New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania
Dec 19, 2024 12:00 JST

Honda Presents Next-generation e:HEV Technologies at Press Briefing on Honda e:HEV Business and Technology
Dec 18, 2024 17:50 JST

MHI Appoints CTO Eisaku Ito as Next President & CEO, Announces Changes in Board and Executive-level Personnel
Dec 18, 2024 17:38 JST

Honda to Utilize Existing Powertrain Unit Factory to Establish New Production Plant for Next-generation Fuel Cell System in Japan
Dec 18, 2024 17:22 JST

NEC Receives Telecom Review's Global Excellence Award for Innovative Telecom B2B/ Enterprise Network Solutions
Dec 18, 2024 17:12 JST

Japan's Telecommunications Carriers Join Forces to Strengthen Disaster Response
Dec 18, 2024 16:11 JST

Toyota's Fuel Cell and Water Electrolysis System Production Plan Certified as a METI Support Program for Building GX Supply Chains
Dec 18, 2024 13:51 JST

DENSO and onsemi Collaborate for a Strengthened Relationship
Dec 17, 2024 14:26 JST

Asian Financial Forum returns as Region's First Major International Financial Assembly in 2025
Dec 17, 2024 13:44 JST

Fujitsu recognized as Leader in IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Digital Workplace Services 2024 Vendor Assessment
Dec 16, 2024 10:20 JST

MHI Group Issues its "SUSTAINABILITY DATABOOK 2024"
Dec 13, 2024 16:31 JST

Notification of Dissolution of Joint Management of LT Metal Co., Ltd. by TANAKA Kikinzoku Kogyo K.K. and LT Corp.
Dec 13, 2024 04:00 JST

More Latest Release >>