Liquid lenses, are a type of optical lens that utilizes an electronically controlled liquid droplet to change its shape and hence alter its focal length. These lenses are based on electrowetting technology, which involves manipulating the surface tension of a...
machine vision
Powell Lens Design
by Victor Argueta | FAQ, lens design, machine vision, optical design
Previous posts have reviewed different techniques for beam homogenization as well as the difference between spot size and beam angle. This post will review a method for beam shaping using Powell Lenses. Powell lenses are lenses that create a straight laser line by...
How F-Theta Lenses work ( & when to use one)
by Victor Argueta | lens design, lens design consulting, machine vision
In a scanning system, a laser beam moves linearly in one or two dimensions by usually using a galvanometer or scan mirrors. The focused laser can then be used for engraving images in different materials, and drilling, cutting or other applications. However, when...
Common telecentric lens design layouts
by Victor Argueta | FAQ, lens design, lens design consulting, machine vision, optical engineering
What is a Telecentric Lens ?An important goal in machine vision applications is taking measurements in a consistent, accurate, and precise manner. This can include measuring the dimensions of manufactured parts to guarantee they are within the...
Moving from RasberryPi image processing to an MCU
by John | machine vision
We’ve built a number of image processing systems that use Raspberry Pi and other single board computers together with OpenCV and other Python libraries such as Scikit image and Dlib. For example, take a look at this defect inspection system This works well for...
Which is better a CCD or CMOS image sensor?
by Victor Argueta | machine vision, optics
CCD vs CMOS CCD and CMOS are both image sensors. They can be found in any device that creates an image. Cameras, webcams, mobile phones. They are one of the most common consumer electronics in world. For many years there has been a debate about which image sensor: CCD...
Object tracking with OpenMV
by John | machine vision
We’ve been experimenting recently with our OpenMV camera and tools. In this video, you can see a simple system to track objects. Building this cost just $80 for the camera and a few hours’ time of coding and testing. In addition to a cellphone backlight , we were able...
Reducing speckle noise in 3D mapping
by John | machine vision, optical design
Laser sources are typically used in 3D depth mapping of random and pseudo-random pattern projectors. This is because laser sources are coherent enough to diffract through a diffractive optical element (DOE), unlike non-coherent sources (LED), which can't. The downside...
Simple optical device for defect detection
by John | machine vision
In industrial applications (including automotive and aviation), small manufacturing defects can lead to expensive or catastrophic failures. Manufacturers rely on human inspection or costly and complex optical systems hardware to detect such defects. Recent advances in...