Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

I believe that if more effort is directed into the No-Man's land between raw sensory data and the distinguishable signals which are the starting point of statistical theory, the second decade of information theory will be as rich in practical improvements in communications techniques as the first was in intellectual clarifications.

—D. Gabor [84]

1.1 THREE REVOLUTIONS

Sensing is the interface between the physical and digital worlds. This text focuses on computational optical sensing, by which we mean the creation of digital information from electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from 200 to 20,000 nanometers (nm). Optical sensors are incorporated in imagers, spectrometers, communication transceivers, and optical information processing devices. This text focuses on imaging and spectroscopy. Imagers include microscopes, telescopes, video- and still cameras, and machine vision systems. Spectrometers are sensor engines for molecular detection and imaging, chemical analysis, environmental monitoring, and manufacturing process control.

Computational sensing is revolutionizing the design and utility of optical imagers and spectrometers. In emerging applications, optical sensors are the backbone of robotics; transit control systems; security systems; medical diagnostics and genomics; and physical, chemical, and biological research. This text does not ...