Optimum detectors for artificial object recognition

目前的数码相机具有线性响应，并且仅真正适合于在受控的光条件下的简单图片成像。事实上，与人类视觉相比，这些相机有两个关键和削弱的限制，有限的动态范围和物体颜色的变化。当场景的动态范围大于相机的动态范围时，这些限制中的第一个会导致饱和。第二个限制是微妙的，这意味着与人类视觉不同，在人工物体识别系统中很难使用来自线性相机的颜色信息。这两个限制都可以通过使用具有相对窄的光谱响应和与检测到的光电流的对数成比例的输出的像素来克服。我们打算通过开发一种基于有机光电二极管和对数响应的新相机技术来克服这些限制。

Current digital cameras have a linear response and are only really suitable for simple picture imaging under controlled light conditions. In fact compared to human vision these cameras have two critical and debilitating limitations, a limited dynamic range and variability in object colour. The first of these limitations causes saturation when the dynamic range of a scene is larger than that of the camera. The second limitation is subtler and means that unlike human vision it is difficult to use colour information from linear cameras in artificial object recognition systems. Both these limitations can be overcome using pixels with a relatively narrow spectral response and an output that is proportional to the logarithm of the detected photocurrent. We intend to overcome these limitations by developing a new camera technology based upon organic photodiodes and a logarithmic response.