Three-dimensional holographic imaging Joseph Rosen Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering P. O. Box 653, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel Phone:+972-8-6477150, Fax:+972-8-6472949, Email:rosen@ee.bgu.ac.il Abstract: Recent developments in a new method of holographic computer-aided imaging will be reviewed. Our hologram is computed from angular viewpoints of the observed 3D scene. The recorded data are processed to yield a 2D computer-generated hologram. When this hologram is illuminated properly, a 3D image of the scene is reconstructed. 2003 Optical Society of America OCIS codes: (090.1760) Computer holography, (100.6890) Three-dimensional image processing Conventional holographic recording demands special stability of the optical system and relatively intense light with a high degree of coherence between the involved beams. These requirements have prevented hologram recorders from becoming as widely used for outdoor photography as conventional cameras. In this talk, we will review recent developments in a new method of holographic computer-aided imaging. Generally in this method, a hologram is computed from a set of angular projections of the observed 3D object, recorded by a conventional digital camera [1]. The recorded data are numerically processed to yield a two-dimensional complex function, which is then encoded as a computer-generated hologram. When this hologram is illuminated by a plane wave, a 3D real image of the object is reconstructed. The main feature of this hologram is that its transparency values are identical to a Fourier hologram recorded by an interference between two laser beams. It is important to note that this hologram is not related to the well-known multiplex or stereoscopic holograms. The main advantage of this technique is that, although objects in the scene are recorded by a conventional digital camera without wave interference, the process yields a hologram of the observed scene with a 3D nature. Following the presentation of the basic hologram, we will describe several different configurations of this technique designed for various applications. For instance, integrating spatial filtering into the process of the hologram’s computation yields a new pattern recognition system, which is capable of recognizing and tracking targets in the 3D space [2]. The technique of scanning the scene is another issue to be discussed. We will present different methods of observing the scene and the different holograms obtained by these methods [3]. The two main examples are, on one hand, a hologram computed from a set of different viewpoints along a horizontal arc around the observed object [1]. On the other hand, using a micro-lens array enables us to capture the scene from horizontal as well as vertical points of view, and thus such a technique yields a different type of hologram [3]. References 1. Y. Li, D. Abookasis and J. Rosen, "Computer-generated holograms of three-dimensional realistic objects recorded without wave interference," Appl. Opt. 40, 2864-2870 (2001). 2. Y. Li and J. Rosen, "Object recognition using three-dimensional optical quasi-correlation," J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 19, 1755-1762 (2002). 3. D. Abookasis and J. Rosen, "Computer-generated holograms of three-dimensional objects synthesized from their multiple angular viewpoints," To be published in J. Opt. Soc. Am. A (2003). ThV2