Quantification of the effects of time-varying speckle patterns on speckle images using a modified speckle influence degree method

Abstract Numerous methods that generate time-varying speckle patterns have been used unsuccessfully to eliminate speckle. In this study, the speckle influence degree (SID) method is used in conjunction with a measurement system that emulates the human eyes. Time-varying speckle patterns are generated at different velocities, whereby the correlation degree between the speckle patterns, the correlation time, and SID, are calculated as a function of velocity. It is shown that the correlation time is 6 ms and SID is reduced to 6.4% when the velocity is increased up to 40 μ m ∕ ms . Further, when a chip motor with a velocity of 286 μ m ∕ ms is used to modulate speckle patterns, the correlation time and SID are reduced to 1 ms and 3.2%, respectively. Based on these results, the mechanism of time-varying speckle patterns is quantified for the first time, laying a scientific basis for proposing innovative methods of speckle elimination.