More That Meets the Eye — Optics To Make Your Measurements Easier

By Paul F. Sullivan, SULLutions

Paul@SULLutions.com

http://www.SULLutions.com

IEEE Consultants Network Meeting -- Wednesday,  6:30 PM,  February  25, 2009

At Foley-Hoag, 1000 Winter Street, Suite 4000, Waltham, MA

There are many optical phenomena that can enhance the contrast or the resolution with which a target can be viewed, compensate for localized or temporary anomalies, or even completely eliminate the need for some component in a measurement system. Some are things you experience every day (retroreflection, diffraction), though you may not notice them or think of applying them to a measurement problem. Others (the Talbot effect) escape even the notice of many optical engineers.

Tonight we’ll experience first hand the way engineers at the Acushnet Company used retroreflective targets and collinear illumination and viewing to completely eliminate the golf ball, its dimples, the golfer’s shoes, and the club from an image recognition problem in measuring golf ball launch conditions. We’ll learn how optical moiré can be used to quantitatively determine the pitch and phase difference between optical patterns and sensitively measure the straightness of the lines in those patterns. Machines and humans “view” moiré differently and we’ll learn how to optimize differently for each.

Optical diffraction steers light in precise directions dependent on wavelength, a characteristic that Polaroid engineers used to mark the entire face of an SX-70 image with a grid that a printer could easily see and use to precisely position dots on vibrating film but that was completely invisible to humans. And the Talbot effect? Polaroid used that to eliminate a lens in a $20 position encoder whose resolution was unsurpassed by any commercial unit selling for less than $4000.

The next time you’re up against a difficult measuring problem, a different application of optics may be your salvation.

Paul F. Sullivan Biography

Paul received a B.S., summa cum laude, from Boston College and a Ph.D. from Brown University, both in physics. He has over forty-eight years’ experience, primarily developing new instruments and measurement techniques. He is author or co-author of 18 journal articles and inventor or co-inventor on fourteen U. S. patents in optics, electronics, control, data storage, and packaging. After working for the Army Materials Research Agency, NASA, Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory, the Acushnet Company, and Polaroid, he founded SULLutions twelve years ago to help mostly R&D companies “… when a single discipline is not enough.”

PLEASE NOTE:

No charge for Consultants Network members;  or non-members.  The meeting is free and open to the public.  Casual dress.

The Consultants Network meeting starts at 6:30 PM.  The meeting location is at Foley Hoag LLP, Emerging Enterprise Center, Bay Colony Corporate Center, 1000 Winter Street, Suite 4000, North Entrance, Waltham, MA. From Route 128 take Exit 27B (Winter Street).  At the end of the exit ramp, turn right onto Wyman St. At the next set of lights, turn right on Winter St. Stay in the far right lane and continue around the reservoir.  Turn left at Bay Colony Corporate Center.  Proceed to 1000 Winter Street and enter at the NORTH entrance

http://www.foleyhoag.com/TheFirm/Offices/Emerging%20Enterprise%20Center%20at%20Foley%20Hoag.aspx

Check the Consultants Network website for details and last minute information of our upcoming lectures series for 2008-2009

http://www.boston-consult.com/calendar.php

For more information, e-mail cn.boston@ieee.org or chairman@boston-consult.com; or contact the chairman Tom Vaughan at 781-344-0087. The Consultants Network website is at www.boston-consult.org.