Top Types of Optical Prisms
Introduction One of the most common images for any that has study optics is that of Sir Isaac Newton with a beam of white light going through a glass prism and a rainbow coming out on the other side. It is one of the most famous optical experiments, not only for its simplicity, but also […]
Phase Shift Method for distance measurement
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 solution when needing a noncontact method that’s fast or automated. For example, they are often used […]
Surface texture requirement in optical drawings
In our previous article, we discussed how to read optical drawings while in this installment, we will focus on surface finish details. Optical lens performance can be heavily affected by the lens surface roughness. The surface texture symbols are used in optical drawings to define a lens’s necessary surface finish and roughness and will the […]
Understanding the optics behind a PAPI light
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 is a set of four light sources that help the pilots correct the […]
Projection Lens Design
Projection systems are one of the most common consumer optical devices (probably second to photographic systems). They allow us to view images on a screen (usually) by magnifying and projecting them at distances from a few centimeters to several meters away (like in a movie theater), while maintaining a high quality image. Projection systems are […]
Cardinal Points
When I was a young undergrad engineering student, I always found optics to be a very confusing subject. It was not only the equations, but what it looked like hundreds of different definitions involved in even the simplest of optical systems. Some concepts, like radius of curvature, f-number, and focal point were easy to understand […]