| The novel use of acousto-optic (AO) devices to perform basic image processing operations such as low and high pass filtering, notch filtering, etc. in one and two dimensions (1D and 2D) is investigated. The main advantage of AO image processing is that it is programmable in real time. Furthermore, since the AO devices are not used as spatial frequency plane filters, the experimental setup is simple and can be easily adapted for use with a monochromatic illumination source instead of a coherent laser beam.;AO interaction by means of transfer functions in the spatial frequency domain are demonstrated. These transfer functions are either analytically derived or numerically evaluated. A simple physical argument to support the nature of the transfer functions is provided in each case. 1D image edge enhancement and smearing are achieved by using one AO cell, and improved by using two AO cells with contra-propagating sound. 2D edge enhancement and corner detection can be realized using two orthogonally oriented AO cells in different experimental setups. In each case, experimental results are reconciled with theoretical predictions based on the transfer functions of the AO interaction. |
