Integrating Telecentric Optics for Machine Vision

Telecentric optics technology is widely used in machine vision. Its success is mainly due to telecentric lenses' magnification, which remains constant when the object-to-lens distance changes. Additionally, the images produced by these lenses have no perspective error, and they have low distortion. These characteristics make telecentric lenses a reliable tool in high-precision contactless gauging applications. However, the large size that these lenses can reach, as well as their fixed working distance and shallow depth of field, can be limiting in some cases.

The integration of a liquid lens into a telecentric optic improves the versatility of the technology, making it useful for new applications. A liquid lens is a device capable of modulating its optical power through the application of an electric signal. When embedding a liquid lens into a telecentric optic, it becomes possible to change a system's working distance in a matter of a few milliseconds without mechanically moving any of its parts. This approach offers new solutions for applications that require accurate measurements of small objects with varying heights, or when the features to be measured lie on different planes.

About the presenter
Gaetano Panagia is a technical support specialist at the American branch of Opto Engineering in Houston. He obtained his M.Sc. in biomedical engineering from Politecnico di Torino in 2016. After working as a researcher in the field of nanoscience at the Technical University of Denmark, he entered the machine vision industry. In 2018, Panagia became a technical support specialist at Opto Engineering's headquarters in Mantova, Italy. He later relocated to Houston. Utilizing his technical competence and passion for education, he assists customers worldwide.