Endoscope or borescope stereo viewing system

Stereoscopic imaging and viewing system for borescope or endoscope, comprising a miniature camera assembly that includes an imager having an image plane, a focusing lens assembly of a predetermined diameter and an effective aperture on the order of about f/2 or wider for focusing, at a location on an optic axis of the lens assembly, and on the image plane of said imager an image of a three-dimensional target in the viewing field of said camera assembly said imager being fixed against transverse movement with respect to said optic axis;

• an aperture plate interposed in the optical path of said camera assembly adjacent said lens assembly, having left and right pupils therein situated on opposite sides of the optic axis of said lens assembly and separated from one another by a predetermined pupil distance less than said lens assembly diameter, such that a left image passes through the left pupil and is focussed on the imager by a corresponding portion of said lens assembly on said image plane and a right image passes through the right pupil and is focussed on the imager by a corresponding portion of said lens assembly on said image plane;
• and selective means for alternately admitting light through said pupils and forming said left image and said right image on said imager alternately to produce distinguishable left-eye and right-eye views of the target;
• and viewing means coupled to said imager to receive the left and right images therefrom and visually display said left-eye and right-eye views of the target to produce a stereoscopic view of said three-dimensional target.