You probably come into contact with lasers more than you think. For example, lasers are commonly found in optical systems. At Gamma Scientific, for example, we do top-quality camera sensor calibration to measure the tilting angles of mirrors within the mechanisms. Sounds complicated, right? Well, this glossary of laser sensor terminology will help simplify the process a bit more for those interested in display measurement.
Accuracy
In terms of laser sensors, accuracy refers to the difference between what the sensor can read and the actual distance someone’s measuring. External factors such as temperature and ambient light may affect a laser’s accuracy.
Depth of Field
Another note in the glossary of laser sensor terminology is depth of field. Essentially, this is discussing how far a laser can accurately measure light. Again, external factors impact the depth of field, such as how much light is reflected and collected within the sensor.
Reflectance
Picture a plain white piece of paper. This object will have a high diffuse reflectance, meaning light strikes a target at a wide angle—it’s more scattered. Reflectance, on the other hand, is the light given out by a mirror. Again, the target’s color and movement will affect its reflectance numbers.
Repeatability
This term in the glossary is directly tied to what we do at Gamma Scientific. We aim to see how long lasers will last as time goes on. With every test, the repeatability goes down because the faster you test, the more you affect the laser sensor’s capabilities. That’s why it’s why to stretch out the test over time as to not put too much pressure on the sensors.
Gamma Scientific performs camera sensor calibration for the cameras we use every day. Essentially, we act as the quality control group for camera mirrors before CCD or CMOS sensors are put into place. Again, it sounds complicated. However, this glossary of laser sensor terms is an excellent resource to look back on when you get stuck.
