Erling Rasmussen

Roskilde University, Mental Research Institute

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Erling Rasmussen is a pioneering figure in optical image processing and photorefractive computing, whose work has laid foundational groundwork for modern robotic vision systems. His research centers on developing compact, real-time optical correlators that transform complex visual information—such as position, rotation, and size—into simple shift parameters for efficient machine processing. Rasmussen’s most influential contribution, the "Compact photorefractive correlator for robotic applications" (1992, 54 citations), demonstrated a multichannel optical joint transform correlator using mini-YAG lasers, liquid-crystal spatial light modulators, and updatable holographic BSO crystals to perform sorting tasks for robotics. This work showcased how photorefractive materials could enable updatable, real-time pattern recognition in a compact form factor. Earlier, his 1987 paper (19 citations) introduced an elegant optical system that converts orientation and size into shift properties while preserving positional information, enabling further processing with classical correlators. Rasmussen’s innovations bridged fundamental optics and practical automation, influencing subsequent developments in optical computing and machine vision. His achievements remain a touchstone for researchers exploring photorefractive devices and real-time image processing.