short course on auto stereo 3D
July 29th, 2010video on using LED optics
July 29th, 2010New video about using LED optics in the design of lighting systems
Mobile 3D is a top “Emerging Technology,” says MIT Tech Review
May 4th, 2010According to MIT Technology Review magazine, mobile 3D — that is, hologram-like 3-D and real-time 2D-to-3D conversion — is a top emerging technology in 2010.
Optics for Hire’s patent portfolio has multiple floating-image techniques (have you seen the patents page?), including those that are viable for mobile devices.
-Gregg
(Boston area) Great Science Events for Kids
April 21st, 2010From April 24 – May 2, 2010, the Cambridge Science Festival offers a variety of fun and educational things to do. The events are at various sites around town.
For example: Saturday Apr. 24, (12.00p – 4.00p) at the newly-renovated Cambridge Public Library, learn about optics with the “OPTICS SUITCASE.” Always a well-attended event, members of the New England Section of the Optical Society of America will demonstrate a giant kaleidoscope, the optics of polarization, and other fun things. OFH’s Gregg Favalora, a member of the NES-OSA, will be part of the optics volunteer group that morning.
Is it worthwhile to reverse engineer a lens?
April 5th, 2010This is a question we get from time to time and the short answer is usually ‘no’. There are vendors who can provide this, but in our experience it really hasn’t been worth the effort to reverse engineer a lens.
While you could measure each lens element and get it’s radius, you then need to find out the refractive index of each piece of glass. This is not simple although it can be done. Then you need to get the spacing between the elements in the lens but sometimes in taking apart the lens you wind up destroying it.
Finally even if you succeed you don’t know the tolerances for the lens surfaces, the coatings, the centration tolerance or the spacing tolerance.
The time and money to do this doesn’t really pay off compared with making a new design. Assuming a client knows what they like about a lens, resolution, F# etc it’s quicker to make a new design.
The only situation that might make it worthwhile to reverse engineer is if you are trying to design a lens that will go in front of a common consumer lens. It’s not any easier, but the data collected could be useful in the design of the new attachment.
patent to create 3D ‘hologram like’ image
March 12th, 2010ENET
March 2nd, 2010I’m chairing tonight’s Boston Entrepreneur’s Network meeting on Term Sheets and Valuation. ENET it is an offshoot of IEEE and has monthly meetings on topics of interest for entrepreneurs. The speakers will be Linda Smith of CERES, Mark Haddad of Foley Hoag, and his current start up is zthere and previously was the founder and CEO of RedShift Systems a thermal imaging venture CEO of Aegis Lightwave.
The presentations will be online at the enet site later this week.
Photonics West Trade Show
February 8th, 2010
OFH trade show booth

January newsletter
January 15th, 2010
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