New constructions of panoramic annular lenses: design principle and output characteristics analysis

摘要

A new principle of panoramic annular lenses (PALs) design and a new calculation method based on this principle are described. Six PAL new configurations designed with the help of this method are presented and discussed. In particular, the PAL configurations that form a real image and might help to design a very compact but simple system for panoramic surveillance are discussed as well. The analysis of the output characteristics of new PAL configurations have shown that they can provide high image quality, especially in the infrared spectral range.