ESPRIT Long Term Research Project No. 21951
The use of space-variant visual sensors in image communication and processing is gaining more and more attention as a simple and direct way of reducing the visual information transmitted and/or processed while preserving both high resolution and a wide field of view. At present two different implementations of the space-variant concept have been realized at IMEC in collaboration with DIST. The first of such sensors was fabricated using CCD technology (the chip contained about 2,000 photocells) in 1989 The second, using CMOS technology and about 8,000 photocells, has been designed and fabricated within an ongoing EU-supported project (TIDE project IBIDEM P1038 ) and is now in the testing phase. Both sensors acquire black and white images.
During the first phase of SVAVISCA a color version of the sensor was realized and tested. Due to the results achieved, a second phase grant was awarded with the objective of developing a miniaturized camera with a new version of the space-variant chip. The technological goal is to realize a chip with at least 30,000 pixels using a .35 micron technology. The camera will have a wide field of view lens (140 deg.) and the size will be of the order of 1 cubic centimeter.
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