Field deployable dynamic lighting system for turbid water imaging

Abstract

The ocean depths provide an ever changing and complex imaging environment. As scientists and researches strive to document and study more remote and optically challenging areas, specifically scatter-limited environments. There is a requirement for new illumination systems that improve both image quality and increase imaging distance. One of the most constraining optical properties to underwater image quality are scattering caused by ocean chemistry and entrained organic material. By reducing the size of the scatter interaction volume, one can immediately improve both the focus (forward scatter limited) and contrast (backscatter limited) of underwater images. This thesis describes a relatively simple, cost-effective and field-deployable low-power dynamic lighting system that minimizes the scatter interaction volume with both subjective and quantifiable improvements in imaging performance.