Wide-field of view (FOV) imaging devices with active foveation capability

1. A clustered imaging system comprising:

at least two foveated imaging systems each configured to capture a wide field of view image composing an extended field of view of the clustered imaging system, wherein each wide field of view image has at least one intersection at a neighboring field of view image boundary between the at least two wide field of view images of the least two foveated imaging systems,

wherein each of the at least two foveated imaging systems system comprise:

an objective lens, facing an external scene, configured to receive incoming light from an external scene and to focus the incoming light upon a beamsplitter;

the beamsplitter, configured to split the incoming light from the external scene into a first portion on a wide field of view imaging path and a second portion on a foveated imaging path;

the wide field of view imaging path comprising:

a first stop, separate from the objective lens, which limits the amount of the first portion received in the wide field of view path from the beamsplitter;

a wide field of view imaging lens, different from the objective lens and configured to receive the first portion from the first stop and focus the first portion on a wide field of view imaging sensor;

the wide field of view imaging sensor, configured to record the first portion light as the wide field of view image;

the foveated imaging path consisting of:

a second stop, which limits the second portion received in the foveated imaging path from the beamsplitter;

a multi-axis scanning mirror configured to selectively reflect the second portion as an identified region of interest back towards the beamsplitter;

a reflective surface disposed upon the beamsplitter, configured to direct the identified region of interest reflected by the scanning mirror;

a foveated imaging lens, configured to form the identified region of interest directed by the reflective surface on a foveated imaging sensor; and

the foveated imaging sensor, configured to record the identified region of interest from the foveated imaging lens as a higher resolution foveated image,

wherein the clustered foveated image system is configured to display at least one higher resolution foveated image from the at least two foveated imaging systems within the extended field of view image.

2. The clustered imaging system according to claim 1 , wherein the neighboring field of view image boundary between the at least two foveated imaging systems overlaps.

3. The clustered imaging system according to claim 1 , further comprising a multi-faceted mirror configured to create a single common viewpoint within the extended field of view.