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Principles and prospects for single-pixel imaging

Nature Photonics volume 13, pages 13–20 (2019)Cite this article

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Abstract

Modern digital cameras employ silicon focal plane array (FPA) image sensors featuring millions of pixels. However, it is possible to make a camera that only needs one pixel. In these cameras a spatial light modulator, placed before or after the object to be imaged, applies a time-varying pattern and synchronized intensity measurements are made with a single-pixel detector. The principle of compressed sensing then allows an image to be generated. As the approach suits a wide a variety of detector technologies, images can be collected at wavelengths outside the reach of FPA technology or at high frame rates or in three dimensions. Promising applications include the visualization of hazardous gas leaks and 3D situation awareness for autonomous vehicles.

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Fig. 1: Computational imaging configurations.
Fig. 2: Evaluating regularized and non-regularized image reconstructions with compressive sensing.
Fig. 3: The experimental landscape for single-pixel imaging systems spanning wavelength spectrum and application area.
Fig. 4: Real-time imaging of methane gas leaks using a single-pixel camera.
Fig. 5: 3D imaging experimental results.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge support from EPSRC QuantIC (EP/M01326X/1) and ERC TWISTS (grant no. 192382).

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Matthew P. Edgar, Graham M. Gibson, Miles J. Padgett.

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  1. SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK

    Matthew P. Edgar, Graham M. Gibson & Miles J. Padgett

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Contributions

M.P.E. conducted the experiments and processed the data presented in Figs. 2 and 5. G.M.G. conducted the experiment and processed the data presented in Fig. 4. M.P.E., M.J.P. and G.M.G. all contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Miles J. Padgett.

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Edgar, M.P., Gibson, G.M. & Padgett, M.J. Principles and prospects for single-pixel imaging. Nature Photon 13, 13–20 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41566-018-0300-7

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