Lessons from design, construction, and use of various multicameras

Abstract

A multicamera, array camera, cluster camera, or “supercamera” incorporates two or more component cameras in a single system that functions as a camera with superior performance or special capabilities. Many camera arrays have been built by many organizations, yet creating an effective multicamera has not become significantly easier. This paper attempts to provide some useful insights toward simplifying the design, construction, and use of multicameras. Nine multicameras our group built for diverse purposes between 1999 and 2017 are described in some detail, including four built during Summer 2017 using some of the proposed simplifications.