This paper describes a method of constructing an optical sensor of the position of an object in space and facilities for monitoring it. The method is based on a technique for forming plane and solid angles of a light beam formed by a set of rays issuing from an active area of limited size. Schematic optical diagrams are given for the sensor and monitoring facilities, and analytical expressions are proposed for computing the coordinates of an object. The monitoring facilities make it possible take into account the error of operating the source while measurements of the coordinate of an object are being made. Results of an experiment are presented for a case in which the angular and linear coordinates are visually estimated to within 3<sup>″</sup> and 0.07mm, respectively.
© 2008 Optical Society of AmericaPDF Article