Seeing around corners with edge-resolved transient imaging

J Rapp, C Saunders, J Tachella, J Murray-Bruce… - Nature …, 2020 - nature.com
Nature communications, 2020nature.com
Abstract Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) imaging is a rapidly growing field seeking to form images
of objects outside the field of view, with potential applications in autonomous navigation,
reconnaissance, and even medical imaging. The critical challenge of NLOS imaging is that
diffuse reflections scatter light in all directions, resulting in weak signals and a loss of
directional information. To address this problem, we propose a method for seeing around
corners that derives angular resolution from vertical edges and longitudinal resolution from …
Abstract
Non-line-of-sight (NLOS) imaging is a rapidly growing field seeking to form images of objects outside the field of view, with potential applications in autonomous navigation, reconnaissance, and even medical imaging. The critical challenge of NLOS imaging is that diffuse reflections scatter light in all directions, resulting in weak signals and a loss of directional information. To address this problem, we propose a method for seeing around corners that derives angular resolution from vertical edges and longitudinal resolution from the temporal response to a pulsed light source. We introduce an acquisition strategy, scene response model, and reconstruction algorithm that enable the formation of 2.5-dimensional representations—a plan view plus heights—and a 180 field of view for large-scale scenes. Our experiments demonstrate accurate reconstructions of hidden rooms up to 3 meters in each dimension despite a small scan aperture (1.5-centimeter radius) and only 45 measurement locations.
nature.com