Computer modeling and the design of optimal underwater imaging systems

TLDR

The model incorporates the inherent and apparent properties of light propagation in water. The study proposes an imaging configuration that scans an incoherent light beam across a camera’s field of view to achieve better quality images at larger distances. The model represents an image as a linear superposition of components and proposes scanning an incoherent light beam across the camera’s field of view. The model simulates underwater imaging configurations, showing that careful beam pattern design and camera/light placement can yield large contrast gains, that range‑gated systems are power limited, and that the proposed incoherent light‑scanning system outperforms conventional and range‑gated methods.

Abstract

A computer model to simulate the formation of underwater images has been developed. The model incorporates the inherent and apparent properties of the propagation of light in water. An image is approximated as a linear superposition of several image components. The model has been used to simulate the relative advantages of different camera/light configurations. The results indicate that extremely large gains in image contrast can be obtained by careful design of beam patterns and the manipulation of camera and light locations. The performance of range-gated systems is explored, and it is demonstrated that these systems are presently power limited. In order to obtain better quality images at larger distances, an imaging configuration which consists of scanning an incoherent light beam across the field of view of a camera is proposed. The incoherent light-scanning system is shown to have advantages over both conventional imaging techniques and range-gated methods.