Comparison of a kaleidoscope-based multi-view infrared system with its TOMBO-based counterpart

Multi imaging snapshot systems are used for a wide range of applications in all the spectral ranges. We propose here a study and a realization of a multi-view snapshot system using a kaleidoscope in the Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) and compatible with uncooled infrared detectors such as microbolometers. The optical system has a high numerical aperture, a wide range of fields of view and uses a single focal plane array. We will establish here the advantages of this technology on other design strategies and especially the kaleidoscope design will be compared with the TOMBO design. Then the optical conception rules for every subset of the kaleidoscope architecture will be described and the results of a first demonstrator will be presented. The features of this system will be compared with a TOMBO-based system with a front afocal.