Super Resolution Image Stabilized Video System with 3D Extension

To address the DARPA need for a system that significantly improves quality and content of video obtained from small UAVs and performs on-the-fly 3D scene model generation, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Super-resolution Image-Stabilized (3D-SIS) system with a 3D scene modeling option. This proposed device is based on new electronically steerable field-of-view optics and new computationally efficient image stabilization and super-resolution algorithms. The innovation in design of electro-optical steerable optics without mechanical displacements, high-quality video compression, and simple but efficient image enhancement algorithms will produce high-quality video by eliminating motion blur, improving image resolution, and signal-to-noise ratio, and providing on-the-fly 3D scene modeling. As a result, this system offers subpixel image stabilization despite +/-20 deg. pitch-yaw-roll movements and motion blur along the flight direction, resolution four times higher than image sensors have, and 60x70x50 mm size, 425 g weight, and 1.05 W power consumption, which makes the system acceptable for applications in small UAVs. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of 3D-SIS system by laboratory prototyping and evaluation of image enhancement algorithms. In Phase II, POC plans to develop full-scale system prototype and demonstrate its performance on a small UAV.