Microlens arrays for integral imaging system

When designing a system capable of capturing and displaying 3D moving images in real time by the integral imaging (II) method, one challenge is to eliminate pseudoscopic images. To overcome this problem, we propose a simple system with an array of three convex lenses. First, the lateral magnification of the elemental optics and the expansion of an elemental image is described by geometrical optics, confirming that the elemental optics satisfies the conditions under which pseudoscopic images can be avoided. In using the II method, adjacent elemental images must not overlap, a condition also satisfied by the proposed optical system. Next, an experiment carried out to acquire and display 3D images is described. The real-time system we have constructed comprises an elemental optics array with 54 H x 59 V elements, a CCD camera to capture a group of elemental images created by the lens array, and a liquid crystal panel to display these images. The results of the experiment confirm that the system produces orthoscopic images in real time, and thus is effective for real-time application of the II method.