Image generator and projector

1. A generator for generating a target image for testing sensing apparatus comprising:

an aperture stop located adjacent to the sensing apparatus under test,

a spherical mirror having a concave side facing the aperture stop,

an object disposed between the spherical mirror and the aperture stop, wherein:

a center point of the object is located at a focal point of the spherical mirror, and

a longitudinal optical axis passes through the aperture stop, the spherical mirror and the object, and

illumination of the object generates the target image, which is then reflected from the spherical mirror toward the aperture stop, for testing the sensing apparatus.

2. The generator of claim 1 wherein

the object is configured to have a convex surface facing the spherical mirror, and

the convex surface includes multiple perforations.

3. The generator of claim 1 wherein

the object is configured to have a convex surface facing the spherical mirror, and

the convex surface includes a clear spherical optical shell with structured object features.

4. The generator of claim 3 wherein the clear optical shell includes an inflated elastic pellicle membrane.

5. The generator of claim 2 wherein a ground scene is placed upon the convex surface for reflecting as a target image.

6. The generator of claim 2 wherein fiducials are placed upon the convex surface for reflecting as a target image.

7. The generator of claim 1 further including:

an aspheric lens configured as a corrector plate disposed at the aperture stop for correcting spherical aberrations of the spherical mirror.

8. The generator of claim 1 wherein

the spherical mirror has a diameter greater than 50 inches for providing a collimated beam of the object at an infinite distance, and

the collimated beam includes a field of view of at least 50 degrees.

9. A test set for testing multiple sensing devices, in which the sensing devices include multiple entrance pupils arranged across a large area for viewing a target image,

the test set comprising:

a housing including an aperture stop, a spherical mirror and an object,

the aperture stop having a diameter sufficiently large to view the multiple entrance pupils, and the aperture stop arranged to face and surround the entrance pupils,

the spherical mirror having a concave side facing the aperture stop,

the object disposed between the spherical mirror and the aperture stop,

wherein a longitudinal optical axis passes through the aperture stop, the spherical mirror and the object, and

an illumination device for illuminating the object,

wherein illumination of the object generates the target image, which is then reflected from the spherical mirror toward the aperture stop, and collimated for viewing by the sensing devices.

10. The test set of claim 9 wherein

the object includes a plate which is perpendicular to the optical axis, and

the plate includes multiple perforations located about the optical axis.

11. The test set of claim 10 wherein

the multiple perforations are arranged to depict a scene, and

illumination of the multiple perforations is configured to project the scene toward the spherical mirror, and upon reflection from the spherical mirror, back through the perforations and toward the aperture stop.

12. The test set of claim 10 wherein

the surface containing the multiple perforations include fiducials, and

illumination of the multiple perforations is configured to project the fiducials toward the spherical mirror, and upon reflection from the spherical mirror, back through the perforations and toward the aperture stop.

13. The test set of claim 10 wherein

the plate includes a convex surface facing the spherical mirror, and

a center point of the convex surface is located at a focal point of the spherical mirror.

14. The test set of claim 9 further including:

an aspheric lens configured as a corrector plate,

wherein the aspheric lens is disposed in the vicinity of the aperture stop for correcting spherical aberrations of the spherical mirror.

15. The test set of claim 9 further including:

a set of wheels for facilitating movement of the test set about the sensing devices.

16. An image projector comprising:

a housing including:

a spherical mirror,

an aperture stop; and

a focal area for the spherical mirror, the focal area located between the aperture stop and the spherical mirror,

wherein the focal area includes a plate having multiple perforations for allowing the light to reflect toward the aperture stop; and

a light for illuminating the focal area,

wherein when the light illuminates the focal area, the spherical mirror is configured to reflect the focal area toward the aperture stop.

17. The image projector of claim 16 wherein:

the surface containing the multiple perforations is arranged to depict an object, and

the light impinging through the multiple perforations is effective in projecting the object toward the aperture stop.

18. The image projector of claim 16 wherein the focal area includes a convex surface facing the spherical mirror, and a center point of the convex surface is located at a focal point of the spherical mirror.

19. The image projector of claim 16 further comprising:

an aspheric lens configured as a corrector plate,

wherein the aspheric lens is disposed in the vicinity of the aperture stop for correcting spherical aberrations of the spherical mirror.

20. The image projector of claim 16 wherein

the housing is configured as a mobile platform, and

the aperture stop is sufficiently wide for the light, upon collimation by the spherical mirror, to impinge upon a cluster of multiple cameras configured to view the focal area.