Demonstration of shift, scale, and rotation invariant target recognition using the hybrid opto-electronic correlator

Previously, we had proposed a hybrid opto-electronic correlator (HOC), which can achieve the same functionality as that of a holographic optical correlator but without using any holographic medium. Here, we demonstrate experimentally that the HOC is capable of detecting objects in a scale, rotation, and shift invariant manner. First, the polar Mellin transformed (PMT) versions of two images are produced, using a combination of optical and electronic signal processing. The PMT images are then used as the reference and the query inputs for the HOC. The observed correlation signal is used to infer, with high accuracy, the relative scale and angular orientation of the original images. We also discuss practical constraints in reaching a high-speed implementation of such a system. In addition, we describe how these challenges may be overcome for producing an automated version of such a correlator.