Performance evaluation of common-aperture visible and long-wave infrared imaging system based on a comprehensive resolution

Abstract

Abstract In this article, a new method based on a comprehensive resolution is proposed to evaluate the performance of a common-aperture visible and long-wave infrared (LWIR) imaging system. The influence of the comprehensive resolution on target recognition range is analyzed. Under the condition of common-aperture and a combination of four comprehensive resolutions, the main factors affecting the ratio of target recognition range between the visible imaging system and the LWIR imaging system are discussed. Combined with the constraints of the optical system and the detector, the impact of the comprehensive resolution on the target recognition range is analyzed. The ratio of the target recognition range of the two imaging systems is modeled using the comprehensive resolution of the visible imaging system. The experimental system is built and the experimental results are acquired. The predictive results and experimental results show that when the comprehensive resolution of the visible light imaging system increases, the target recognition ranges of the visible light imaging system and the LWIR imaging system increase, as well as the ratio of the target recognition ranges of the two systems increases.