Variable resolution depth imaging by using elliptical mirrors

We describe a novel optical sensor to acquire two-dimensional depth maps of a viewed scene, based on the well established principle of triangulation. The principal contribution of the research lies in the design, which employs planar elliptical mirrors to allow sensor reconfiguration. This enables continuous variation of the triangulation geometry, so that depth maps can be acquired either at a low-depth resolution but with minimal occlusion or at a high-depth resolution but with higher occlusion, depending on the object geometry. The predicted precision of the system is modeled, and the avoidance of occlusion is demonstrated. © 1997 Optical Society of America.