Paraxial Lenses Paraxial lenses are a simplified model used to analyze and design optical systems, particularly lenses. In the paraxial approximation, light rays passing through a lens are assumed to be close to the optical axis and at small angles with respect...
The resale value of a used smartphone is highly dependent on the quality of the screen. In this project, we demonstrate methods to automatically identify screen scratches and determine screen quality using a custom imaging and illumination layout and computer...
Optical techniques for distance measurement offer plenty of uses and applications. These techniques are able to measure the distance between two objects without touching them, making them perfect for a variety of situations. Optical techniques are usually the best...
The Scheimpflug principle states that for a plane (such as a camera lens) to remain in focus on an object, the plane of focus must be parallel to the image plane, and the plane of the lens must be angled so that it intersects the plane of focus at a specific point....
A dispersive prism is an optical element used to break up light into its different wavelength components - a phenomenon discovered by Sir Isaac Newton. By doing this, the prism separates light of varying wavelengths, with longer wavelengths (red) deflecting at a...
In this post we will review textbooks, online tutorials, discussion forums like the ELE Optics Community and software training programs like Zemax training and other great sources to help engineers learn lens design from basic concepts to advanced techniques.
Stray light is a major limiting factor in many imaging systems. When stray light enters the system, it degrades the signal-to-noise ratio or contrast ratio, making it more difficult to obtain accurate images. There are many ways to prevent stray light in an optical system. In this article we will review five.
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Plano convex lenses are lenses with a positive focal length and while they are simple compared to many optical systems, but there are fine details that a lens designer needs to pay attention to. This post will review 3 key rules for designing a plano convex lens
One of the most common lens system designs- especially in photography- is what is called a Double Gaussian lens. There are several different configurations, and close to 90 different patents have been filed from 1936 – 2010. One of the reasons this lens design configuration is so popular is that it corrects many of the major image aberrations with a relatively low number of optical elements.
One parameter that can be used to evaluate the quality of a laser beam is what's called a Beam Caustic. A caustic, in general, is an “envelope” that defines the extent of a beam of light after they have been refracted (or reflected ) by a curved surface. As the...
When working with lasers it is important to understand the physical parameters that define system performance. Some of these specifications may be more familiar than others. For example concepts like wavelength and divergence are commonly used when describing the...
We explained the use and design of laser headlights and adaptive headlights in auto industry
Field lenses are a basic element in optical design, to understand their role in an optical system it’s important first to understand the definitions of Field-of-View (FOV). Generally speaking, FOV is the maximum size of an object that an optical system can create an...
In a previous article we talked about Aviation Light Optics. and discussed a runway light system called Precision Approach Path Indicator (PAPI). Now we would like to go more in detail into PAPI design and describe their design requirements. The PAPI system...
Complex Optical Components from Fluids. Researchers from the Israel Institute of Technology have developed a new technique to fabricate free-form optics by curing a liquid polymer. Traditionally, free-form optics are fabricated using complex CNC equipment that...
In the last month, I have had the need to travel several times by airplane. So, after several hours enjoying $15 sodas, and $30 hamburgers at the airport gates, I started paying more attention to the different illumination systems that are being used in the aviation...
Optical collimators also called non-imaging concentrators are optical components that can collect and project light from a source. Common examples include solar collectors that concentrate the sun's light and project it to heat a surface or direct it to solar panels....
This will be the last entry in our series of optical instrumentation for optometry. If this is the first article that you are seeing, I would suggest that you take a look at our previous articles about Ophthalmoscope Design, Keratometer Design, and Retinoscopy. This...
Retinoscopes are a very common optical instrument used by optometrists to examine a patient’s eye and evaluate the need of corrective lenses. They use a very interesting physical principle. Let’s first describe the optical instrument. The retinoscope is a hand held...
