Bio-inspired Multi-band Polarization Imaging

Multi-band polarization imaging has a variety of applications including land cover classification, military target detection, 3D surface reconstruction, and glare/shadow removal. A comprehensive utilization of spatial, spectral, and polarization information is effective to detect hidden or camouflaged targets which may not be discoverable by traditional optical imaging techniques. Present multi-band polarization sensors rely on dispersion, beam split or interference to obtain spectral information, while polarization information in different direction is acquired by changing polarization angles]. Acquisition of multiple images in different spectral bands and polarization angles may take a relatively long time, a large amount of data, and limited field of view. Conventional multi-band polarization imaging techniques may not satisfy the requirements in modern warfare in terms of dynamic environments, larger field of view, and fast response time. Recent research indicates that some aquatic organisms like dragonfly nymphs, mantis shrimps, and cuttlefish hunt with their multi-band polarization vision. Such observations sparked the studies on multi-band polarization imaging techniques.