Pixel resolution improvement using a sliding mask

We propose a short wave infra-red (SWIR) computational imager that employs a sliding mask in an intermediate image plane to produce high resolution images from several encoded lower resolution measurements. The goal is to demonstrate that a relatively small (and consequently inexpensive) focal plane arrays (FPAs) can be used in such architectures to produce high resolution images that would require a much larger FPA. The imaging system is described in terms of the sensor parameters (such as field of view and angular resolution), dimensions of the mask, the detector and FPA size, and some of the underlying design trades are identified. We validate the fundamental principle using a SWIR testbed, and demonstrate the ability to image a scene with four times the native resolution of the FPA.