Coded Light-Field Sampling

Light-field technology has the potential to supersede traditional systems for imaging and illumination. Light fields parametrize incoming and outgoing light rays using a four-domensional function and, thus, support various processing operations that are impossible with classical systems. For example, a regular camera simply records a two-dimensional image, while a light-field camera records additional directional information. A light-field photograph allows the changing of parameters such as aperture, focus, and perspective after recording. Light-field technology in microscopes supports fast optical volumetric readouts and precise, controllable four-domensional illumination. Therefore, certain parts of a probe can be interactively illuminated while viewing the volume.