Optical design of a variable view imaging system with the combination of a telecentric scanner and double wedge prisms

Abstract

Recent developments in micro-electro-mechanical systems and biotechnology have presented an emerging need for observation of dynamic targets in three-dimensional space. Unfortunately, conventional microscopes with fixed optical parameters have difficulty supplying sufficient vision information because of occlusion, small field of view, and low depth resolution. This paper introduces the design of a variable view imaging system that can supply a flexible view with a relatively large zenith angle and simple kinematics. Because of several performance factors, a multiobjective optimization process is applied to achieve an appropriate design. A prototype system is developed and used to verify the proposed design. (C) 2010 Optical Society of America