High-resolution digital integral photography by use of a scanning microlens array

We suggest what we believe is a new three-dimensional (3-D) camera system f or integral photography. Our method enables high-resolution 3-D imaging. In contrast to conventional integral photography, a moving microlens array (M LA) and a low-resolution camera are used. The intensity distribution in the MLA image plane is sampled sequentially by use of a pinhole array. The inv ersion problem from pseudoscopic to orthoscopic images is dealt with by ele ctronic means. The new method is suitable for real-time 3-D imaging. We ver ified the new method experimentally. Integral photographs with a resolution of 3760 pixels x 2560 pixels (188 x 128 element images) are presented. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.