Abstract

Study of resolution criteria for two line images in diffraction limited systems under incoherent illumination is of importance in robotic vision and visual system models. We are interested in the discrimination of lines, edges, and formalism. The line objects can be represented in terms of derivatives of Heaviside functions. The line spread function (LSF) is expressed in terms of Struve functions of the first kind. Data on experimental LSFs are obtained by Fourier transforming the experimental MTF. The results are fitted to theoretical LSF distributions where losses in the transfer of energy are taken into account (by using Conrady criteria). The location and number of zeros specify the characteristics of the system, namely, the presence of aberrations as well as possible extra correlation with additional factors. The reciprocal LSF/MTF data are discussed, and the importance of information on the first and second derivatives of the resolution threshold distributions is underscored.

© 1992 Optical Society of America