Two upcoming presentations you should attend!
SPIE is a top-tier professional organization for researchers and scientists in optical engineering and applications, nanotechnology, quantum science, organic photonics, and astronomical instrumentation. Our principal optical designer, Simon Thibault and optical designer, Xavier Dallaire will be participating at SPIE this month.
Date: 13 – 17 September 2021
Online Only
Presenter: Simon Thibault / Principal optical designer
*On demand starting 13 September 2021
Freeform Lenses in Consumer Optics Market
Freeform surface is one of the main advanced in lens design over the last two decades. These advances motivated by the new fabrication process and new equipment are now closed to maturity. Recently we start finding on the market more and more camera phone that claims to use freeform lenses. None of these suppliers explained how and why freeform lenses are required in details. In this presentation, we will dive into this to found answers. At the time of writing this abstract, we can identify three camera phones that use freeform lenses. The first one is the Huawei Mate 40 Pro+, which seems to be the first worldwide freeform lens used in a cell phone. Huawei uses the freeform to compensate distortion (they call it ‘anti-distortion’). The lens is an f/1.8 for a 20MP sensor. A second one is the OnePlus 9 Pro, which uses an f/2.2, 7 plastics for a 50MP as an ultra-wide camera. Finally, Oppo Find X3 Pro is also using freeform lens (f/2.2) on an IMX766 50MP (Sony sensor). From all the publicity from those camera-phones, we can found that the freeform used to compensate distortion in the corner of the image. Somehow, we can ask if it is a freeform lens or not, is it only marketing? We will add to this discussion some laboratory results from the Huawei freeform lens as well as image taking with the various cell phone.
WATCH NOW>> https://spie.org/optics-photonics/presentation/Methodology-to-design-mobile-based-camera-lenses-using-freeform-surfaces/11814-3?enableBackToBrowse=true
*On demand starting 13 September 2021
Simon Thibault is Immerson’s Principal Lens Designer working on cutting edge panomorph optic design, applied research, as well as leading in pure research. Simon is a professor in the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Optics at Université Laval, where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in physics and engineering physics.
In addition, Simon is the chairholder of the NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Optical Design. This program actively supports a world-class infrastructure for optical training. This unique training is made possible through the contribution of partners who provide research and applied development challenges. The participation and involvement of Simon at Immervision helps create an environment conducive for innovation and progress within the research group.
He sits on several international conference program committees, has authored over 100 scientific papersnd holds some 10 patents. Beyond physics and optics, Simon is a sportsman regularly playing hockey with his faculty team, and is a seasoned traveler capable of adapting to various cultures.
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Date: 13 – 17 September 2021
Online Only
Presenter: Xavier Dallaire / Optical designer
*On demand starting 13 September 2021
Enhancing learning-based computer vision algorithms accuracy in sUAS using navigation wide-angle cameras designed for low-light conditions
The new generation of sUAS (small Unmanned Aircraft Systems) aims to extend the range of scenarios in which sense-and-avoid functionality and autonomous operation can be used. Relying on navigation cameras, having a wide field of view can increase the coverage of the drone surroundings, allowing ideal fly path, optimal dynamic route planning and full situational awareness. Improving the light gathering capabilities of the lens and sensor will increase the ability of sUAS to operate indoor as well as at dawn, at dusk and even at night. However, both wide-angle lens distortion and increased noise in low-light operation present challenges for learning-based computer vision algorithms used in the sense-and-avoid functionality. Smart pixel management is a solution to enhance the drone vision accuracy combining computer vison driven lens design, hardware component selection and pixel processing algorithms. The first part of this paper will discuss the trade-off space for camera hardware solution to improve vision performance. Severe constraints on size and weight, a situation common to all sUAS components, compete with low-light capabilities and pixel resolution. The second part will explore the benefits and impacts of specific wide-angle lens designs and of wide-angle images rectification (dewarping) on deep-learning methods. Lens distortion is particularly noticeable in rendered wide-angle images, where the deviation from a ‘’distortion free’’ is higher. We will discuss how distortion can be used to bring more information from the scene and how this extra information will increase the accuracy of learning-based computer vision algorithm. The final part will discuss how image processing rectification can improve neural networks accuracy taking object classification as a case study. We will first compare dewarped and non-dewarped images and then images obtained with different dewarping methods. To provide a fair comparison, we will study network accuracy considering the local pixel density and the field of view represented in each type of images.
WATCH NOW>> https://spie.org/security-defence/presentation/Enhancing-learning-based-computer-vision-algorithms-accuracy-in-sUAS-using/11870-7?enableBackToBrowse=true
*On demand starting 13 September 2021
Xavier Dallaire has completed his studies at Laval University, Canada in 2017, graduating from a PhD degree in Physics – Optical Design. During his studies, he focused on topics related to miniaturization of wide-angle lenses, foveated imaging, and aberration correction using plenoptic imaging. Since 2017, Xavier has been working as an Optical Designer for Immervision in Montreal. At Immervision, he worked on the optical design of panomorph lenses in a wide range of applications, including consumer electronics, security, industrial, broadcast, medical and aerospace.
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