Hybrid Optical/Digital Imaging for Automatic Inspection

In Phase I a revolutionary system for digital imaging microscopy was demonstrated. The system is based on the newly-developed imaging technology of Wavefront Coding (WFC). WFC employs specialized aspheric optics and digital processing to greatly increasethe depth of field or depth of focus. WFC simultaneously decreases the size, weight, and cost of a variety of digital imaging systems. Depth of field increases can often be 10 times or more. Single-Lens Wavefront Coding imaging systems can perform aswell as expensive multi-element traditional optics. Wavefront Coding can even be used to passively athermalize IR imaging systems. There are three primary objectives in the Phase II effort: i) to develop a WFC microscope, ii) to design real-time WFCprocessors for high-magnification live-cell microscopy, and high-speed manufacturing/inspection systems, and iii) to produce optical designs representative of next-generation WFC microscope objectives. The first and third objectives are extensions of thePhase I effort. The second objective is considered straightforward but computationally intense. Processing power on the order of 10 billion computations per second is required for real-time processing of high-magnification, live-cell microscopes andindustrial manufacturing/inspection systems. Processing based on FPGA and DSP solutions will be implemented as part of the Phase II effort.