Two very powerful space-variant image processing operations (edge detection and median filtering) are realized using a polarization-encoded optical shadow-casting system. A novel spatial mask is used to detect image edges in all directions. The shadow-casting algorithm is utilized to determine the encodings for the input images to be processed. For illustration purposes, a binary image with edges in various orientations is considered as an input to the edge-detection system. The edge detector developed not only is a parallel processor but requires far fewer LEDs (two for unpolarized codes and one for polarized codes) than that of J. Tanida and Y. Ichioka (Appl. Opt., vol.27, p.2926, 1988).
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