Fisheye lens for image processing applications

Abstract

We have developed a miniature fisheye lens with 190° field of view operating simultaneously in the visible and the near infrared wavelengths. The modulation transfer function characteristic for the visible wavelength is sufficient for a mega-pixel-grade image sensor. The lens also has a fair resolution in the infrared wavelength region. The calibrated f-Θ distortion is less than 5%, and the relative illumination is over 90%. In consequence, a sharp wide-angle image can be obtained which is uniform in brightness over the entire range of field angles. The real image heights for the visible and the near infrared wavelengths have been fitted to polynomial functions of incidence angle with sub-pixel accuracies. Combined with the near equidistance projection scheme of the lens, this lens can be advantageously employed in various image-processing applications requiring a wide-angle lens.