Thin observation module by bound optics (TOMBO): concept and experimental verification

A compact image-capturing system called TOMBO (an acronym for thin observat ion module by bound optics) is presented in which the compound-eye imaging system is utilized to achieve a thin optical configuration. The captured mu ltiple images are processed to retrieve the image of the target object. For image retrieval, two kinds of processing method are considered: image samp ling and backprojection. Computer simulations and preliminary experiments w ere executed on an evaluation System to verify the principles of the system and to clarify the issues related to its implementation. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.