Geometric Properties of a Mechanical Forward Motion Compensation System Controlled by a Piezoelectric Drive

Forward Motion Compensation (FMC) systems have been designed to ensure the radiometric quality of motion acquisition in airborne cameras. If the radiometric benefits of FMC have been acknowledged, what are its effects on the geometrical properties of the camera? This paper demonstrates that FMC significantly improves geometrical properties of a camera. Aspects of FMC theory are discussed, with a focus on the near-lossless implementation of this technology into digital aerial camera systems. Among mechanical FMC technologies, the piezoelectric drive is proving to excel in dynamic positioning in both accuracy and repeatability. The patented piezoelectric drive integrated into Optech aerial camera systems allows for continuous and precise sensor motion to ensure exact compensation of the aircraft's forward motion. This paper presents findings that demonstrate the validity of this assertion. The paper also discusses the physical principles involved in motion acquisition. Equations are included that define the motion effect at image level and illustrate how FMC acts to prevent motion effects. The residual motion effect or compensation error is formulated and a practical computation applied to the more restrictive camera case. The assessment concludes that, in the range of airborne camera utilization, the mechanical FMC technique is free of "visible" error at both human eye and computer assessment level. Lastly, the paper proceeds to a detailed technical discussion of piezoelectric drives and why they have proven to be so effective as nanopositioning devices for optical applications. The effectiveness of the patented piezoelectric drives used to achieve FMC in Optech cameras is conclusively demonstrated.