Reflective surfaces as computational sensors

摘要

We present a family of reflective surfaces that will provide a wide field of view while preserving the geometry of a plane perpendicular to their axis of symmetry. Used in conjunction with a conventional imaging device, these surfaces act as computational sensors capable of providing unwarped images automatically, eliminating the need for further processing. These surfaces arise as solutions to a differential equation that contains a function, which controls the planar distortion. We demonstrate how the differential equation can be altered to accommodate different models of imaging devices with which the surfaces may be coupled. Such sensors could be potentially useful in mobile robotics with applications such as control and range estimation.