Imaging with random 3D reference structures

We describe a sensor system based on 3D 'reference structures' which implements a mapping from a 3D source volume on to a 2D sensor plane. The reference structure used here is a random three dimensional distribution of polystyrene beads. We show how this bead structure spatially segments the source volume and present some simple experimental results of 2D and 3D imaging. © 2003 Optical Society of America.