Improving Freeform Manufacturing using a Unique Deflectometry Enclosure

NASA has identified freeform optics as an integral part of their future optical systems. Reducing the cost of freeforms will be crucial in accelerating the integration of freeforms into cost-sensitive NASA optical systems. One method to reduce cost is to reduce the metrology time needed to characterize the freeforms. This is especially true when measuring the mid-spatial frequency errors induced during the manufacturing process. Current methods are tactile measurement devices such as a coordinate measurement machine and profilometers. These metrology methods slow the manufacturing process and therefore increase cost. The goal of this NASA Phase 1 SBIR is to develop and investigate a unique deflectometry enclosure to improve efficiency of the manufacturing of freeform optics. This proposed innovation is a multi-camera multi-monitor deflectometry system that can be integrated into manufacturing. It would increase efficiency of the freeform manufacturing process by greatly reducing the time to measure the mid-spatial frequency errors of the freeformpart and therefore would reduce the time and cost of freeform manufacturing.