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NASA NTRS2012

Characterization a single-lens based stereoscopic camera

Traditional stereoscopic vision (3D) is achieved through use of two cameras arranged to emulate human eyes. While this method works on large scale projects, it becomes impractical to use on small scale designs, such as surgical endoscopes, in which the operational area doesn’t allow the immensity of dual camera systems. This project is focused on developing a stereoscopic endoscope using a single camera and Conjugated Multiple-Bandpass Filters (CMBF) to create 3D images. Each filter is designed to allow only a distinct spectrum of light to pass through. The stereoscopic image can be obtained by using filters that reflect and reject wavelengths, complementary to one another. A major concern in all stereovision is crosstalk, defined as the light from one eye image that is present in the other eye image. This incomplete isolation causes deterioration of the 3D image. In our system, the crosstalk comes from imperfect filters. The filter spectrums overlap at certain wavelengths, causing a dim outline of the right eye image to leak into the left eye image and vice versa, a phenomenon known as ghosting. Knowledge of the extent of this phenomenon is critical to creating sustainable, effective stereovision.

Fritz, Eric↗

NASA NTRS2009

Miniature Scroll Pumps Fabricated by LIGA

Miniature scroll pumps have been proposed as roughing pumps (low - vacuum pumps) for miniature scientific instruments (e.g., portable mass spectrometers and gas analyzers) that depend on vacuum. The larger scroll pumps used as roughing pumps in some older vacuum systems are fabricated by conventional machining. Typically, such an older scroll pump includes (1) an electric motor with an eccentric shaft to generate orbital motion of a scroll and (2) conventional bearings to restrict the orbital motion to a circle. The proposed miniature scroll pumps would differ from the prior, larger ones in both design and fabrication. A miniature scroll pump would include two scrolls: one mounted on a stationary baseplate and one on a flexure stage (see figure). An electromagnetic actuator in the form of two pairs of voice coils in a push-pull configuration would make the flexure stage move in the desired circular orbit. The capacitance between the scrolls would be monitored to provide position (gap) feedback to a control system that would adjust the drive signals applied to the voice coils to maintain the circular orbit as needed for precise sealing of the scrolls. To minimize power consumption and maximize precision of control, the flexure stage would be driven at the frequency of its mechanical resonance. The miniaturization of these pumps would entail both operational and manufacturing tolerances of <1 m. Such tight tolerances cannot be achieved easily by conventional machining of high-aspect-ratio structures like those of scroll-pump components. In addition, the vibrations of conventional motors and ball bearings exceed these tight tolerances by an order of magnitude. Therefore, the proposed pumps would be fabricated by the microfabrication method known by the German acronym LIGA ( lithographie, galvanoformung, abformung, which means lithography, electroforming, molding) because LIGA has been shown to be capable of providing the required tolerances at large aspect ratios.

Wiberg, Dean↗