Microscanning is a technique that allows to double the resolution of a given staring array imager. It consists in taking multiple images of the same scene while displacing each time the image over the detector plane by a distance equal to a fraction of the detector pitch. The technique is limited by the time required to shift the image from one point to the other and by the precision of the movements. This article describes work that was done under contract for the Defense Research Establishment Valcartier as part of the Wide Area Coverage Infrared Search System (WACISS) project to develop a fast microscanning imaging device. The system includes three main sections: the microscanning head, the controller and the power amplifier. THe microscanning head is made of a lens and a two-axis microtranslation table driven by two piezoelectric translators. The controller drives a high voltage power amplifier which in turn drives the translator. The controller allows four operation modes: fixed position, 2 X 2, 3 X 3, and 4 X 4 microscan. It works in open as well as in closed loop for precise displacements. The systems will be integrated to the WACISS project and will serve as an aid for the identification of detected objects.

Date Published: 10 June 1996
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 2743, Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing VII, (10 June 1996); doi: 10.1117/12.241959

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 2743:
Infrared Imaging Systems: Design, Analysis, Modeling, and Testing VII
Gerald C. Holst, Editor(s)