Modeling and experimental analysis on the effect of carrier aircraft vibration on the imaging quality of an aspherical aerial camera

Abstract

As one of the important factors, the vibration of the carrier aircraft has its impact on the imaging quality of an aspherical aerial camera. To analyze the imaging quality of the aspherical aerial camera under the vibration of the carrier aircraft, a mathematical model is established in this paper based on the theory of the transfer function and the carrier aircraft vibration principle to describe the influence of the carrier aircraft vibration on the modulation transfer function (MTF) of the aspherical optical system. The imaging quality of the aerial camera is based on MTF, and the effect of carrier aircraft vibration on the MTF of the aspherical aerial camera is investigated by simulation analysis and experiment analysis respectively. As per the results of both analyses, the variation trend of the results is in good agreement with the outcome of the mathematical model, and the mathematical model is validated. Therefore, the mathematical model is available to investigate the effect of carrier aircraft vibration on the MTF of the aspherical aerial camera, and provide theoretical guidance for aerial camera optimization design.