Application of Optimal Estimation Techniques for Precise Placement of Free-Form Optical Elements

摘要

Free-form optical elements are used in modern design of electro-opticrnsystems to reduce the structural complexity and to minimize the effect ofrngeometrical aberrations. Such elements require very accurate placementrnduring assembly and thus need a physically well-defined reference frame.rnIn the presented Head-Up Display system, a free-form combiner lacks anyrnphysical frame and is therefore attached to a mechanical mount. In orderrnto allow accurate assembly, the transformation between the combiner'srnmanufacturing frame and a frame attached to the physical mount must bernknown to the designer. In this paper an optimal estimation method torncompute the required transformation is proposed that utilizes multiplernmeasurements of the combiner glass surface obtained from a coordinatemeasuringrnmachine.