A Compact, High Quality Anamorphic Adapter for COTS Infrared Camera

We propose to design and fabricate a high performance anamorphic adapter for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) infrared array cameras. With this anamorphic system, the viewing angle along the preferred axis can be maximized and the viewing angle along the orthogonal axis can be diminished while an equal projected area per pixel can be maintained. The viewing angles for the proposed system with an isothermal focus will be 150 degreex15 degree. The anamorphic system will be designed and made so that best possible image quality can be obtained when used together with a COTS hardware. The system are expected to be compact in structure, easy to realize and relatively low in cost. By incorporating the innovative design of the anamorphic optical system into the wide-field-of-view adapter, it is anticipated that all the Navy requirements for the IR imaging applications can be met. The objective new system represents a breakthrough, enabling technology for wide-angle IR imaging for distended scene with high imaging quality by allowing recording, playback and data analysis using generic equipment. The proposed high performance wide-field-of-view anamorphic adapter will find many dual applications and will greatly expand the usage of COTS infrared cameras.