Machine Vision

Throughout the machine vision industry, it has always been a challenge to keep products in focus under the camera or to quickly scan various objects at different distances. Traditional approaches us additional mechanics or multiple cameras focused at different distances. While the prior has limitations in terms of size, speed and reliability, the later results in a multiplication of cost.

Optotune’s focus tunable liquid lenses provide a versatile, compact and cost-effective solution to these challenges. Thanks to the absence of translational mechanics, Optotune lenses have the possibility to focus within few milliseconds, ensuring robustness and reliability with a lifetime of billions of cycles.

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Applications

Quality control (e.g. liquids, electronics, bottles, LCDs, PCBs, ICs, CCMs)
Packet sorting, box filling, palletizing
Bar code reading
Robot vision
3D image stacking

Advantages

Fast focus within milliseconds
Large working distance range
Quicker system installation
Remote focus control
Long life time (>1B cycles)

Introduction to liquid lenses in machine vision. 简中字幕

ELM-F series of fixed focal length lenses

Optimal performance is achieved when Optotune’s liquid lenses are designed into the imaging optics close to the aperture stop. This allows for large image circles, low f-numbers and best resolution. Optotune is collaborating with several optics companies around the globe to provide an increasing number of such optimized solutions.

For more information about our optimized solutions, have a look at our ELM-F series.

In-depth presentation on liquid lenses in machine vision

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ELM-T series of telecentric lenses

Telecentric lenses perform best when the liquid lens is placed directly after the aperture stop. A variety of such designs are available with magnification ranges from 0.13X to 6X. The integration of Optotune’s liquid lenses in this configuration typically increases the depth of field by a factor of 100, providing for example a focus range of 20mm at 1X magnification.

Adding Optotune’s liquid lenses in these configurations usually does not change image distortion, resolution, vignetting or orientation dependence.

For a list of all available telecentric liquid lens solutions, have a look at our ELM-T series.

Front lens configuration

It is also possible to achieve good results by placing a liquid lens directly in front of off-the-shelf lenses.

In case of S-mount lenses, horizontal fields of view up to 56° are recommended and the liquid lens can often be mounted using the same C-mount resulting in a very compact solution as shown on the left.

In case of C-mount lenses, horizontal fields of view up to 30° are recommended and the liquid lens can be mounted on the filter thread as shown on the right.

Try out Optotune Lens Selector

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Back lens configuration

Optotune’s liquid lenses can also be placed between camera and imaging lens.

In case of C-mount lenses, the liquid lens act as a spacer, giving the possibility to use lenses with focal length of 35mm or more to address macro applications (image on the right).

In case of M42-mount lenses, the liquid lens has space within the flange focal distance, allowing the possibility to focus to infinity (image on the left).

Try out Optotune Lens Selector

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High magnification

To achieve magnifications of 5x up to 100x, the tunable lens is best placed between objective lens and tube lens. There are several off the shelf products available such as Dynamic Focus VZM lens by Edmund Optics, the Optem FUSION sytem by Qioptiq or Navitar’s Zoom 6000 system (test report).

For applications related to the life science market, have a look at our microscopy section.