Simulation of computational ghost imaging: application for 3D measurement

Cameras are common imaging elements in optical measurement systems. A different approach to imaging utilizes only a single pixel sensor and is nevertheless capable of producing two-dimensional images: In computational ghost imaging (CGI) a projector illuminates the object with a known set of patterns and a single photodiode records the resulting radiation powers. These are passed on to a reconstruction algorithm. Such setups can be advantageous where classical camera systems might fail or be too expensive, but cannot currently compete with them in high speed imaging applications. Although the idea is not new, it represents a very different and rarely used paradigm compared to conventional approaches to two- and three-dimensional imaging. Three-dimensional reconstruction through CGI can be achieved through well-known techniques such as photogrammetric stereo reconstruction. Theoretical work has shown that for an actual setup having a single projector and two photodiodes arranged in a parallax is not sufficient. Instead, two projectors and a single photodiode in combination with a computer are necessary for the production of two images suitable for stereo reconstruction. Two characteristics of a CGI setup should play an important role in its technical implementation. These are the type of projected patterns and the sensor dynamic range. A two-dimensional simulation showed that the type of patterns, the sensor's dynamic range and also the dynamic range of the projector are crucial design aspects. A threedimensional photometric simulation of the setup was designed. It adds a proof of concept to CGI with backscattered light and showed that it can be used for stereo reconstruction. Experiments in the future shall reveal more details about the technical implementation. In this submission we present the introduced novel 3D sensor approach and the most significant details of the simulation results.