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Absolute time encoding for temporal super-resolution using de Bruijn coded exposures

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A Publisher Correction to this article was published on 27 February 2020

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Abstract

Many target tracking tasks require high spatial and temporal precision. High frame rate imaging at high spatial resolution is commonly used in these applications, but this approach is expensive and generates large amounts of data which can complicate implementation. When tracking a single object in motion, almost all of this information is unused. A technique has been developed to exploit this sparsity and track motion with a long exposure where absolute timing is encoded by modulating the exposure over time according to a de Bruijn sequence. This technique has been implemented in the Desert Fireball Network to track bright meteors entering the Earth’s atmosphere for orbit determination and successful meteorite recovery. An alternate proof of concept implementation was also developed demonstrating tracking at 36 megapixels and 1000 Hz using a consumer camera with an inexpensive modulated light source and retroreflective target. The technique could be applied to other tracking problems requiring high temporal and spatial precision such as particle image velocimetry and space surveillance and tracking.

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Change history

  • 27 February 2020

    The articles listed below were published in Issue January 2020, Issue 1, instead of Issue February 2020, Issues 1–2.

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank the generous observatory hosts and volunteers assisting with camera maintenance and meteorite recovery that have made the Desert Fireball Network possible. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Space Science and Technology Centre, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    Robert M. Howie, Philip A. Bland & Martin C. Towner

  2. School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

    Jonathan Paxman

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  1. Robert M. Howie
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  2. Jonathan Paxman
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  3. Philip A. Bland
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  4. Martin C. Towner
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Correspondence to Robert M. Howie.

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This research was supported by the Australian Research Council through the Australian Laureate Fellowships scheme and receives institutional support from Curtin University.

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Howie, R.M., Paxman, J., Bland, P.A. et al. Absolute time encoding for temporal super-resolution using de Bruijn coded exposures. Machine Vision and Applications 31, 1 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00138-019-01050-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00138-019-01050-8

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