Characterization of specular freeform surfaces from reflected ray directions using experimental ray tracing

Abstract. The applications of freeform surfaces in optical components and systems are increasing more and more. Therefore, appropriate measurement techniques are needed to measure these freeform surfaces for verification. This task is still a challenge for most measurement techniques. In this paper, we propose a measurement technique for optical and other specular freeform surfaces based on experimental ray tracing. This technique is able to measure form and mid-spatial-frequency deviations simultaneously. The focus will be set on the sensing technique and the measurement uncertainties in the setup. As the measurement technique is described, an estimation of the influence of different uncertainties based on simulations is given. The result from an experimental measurement is evaluated in relation to the influence of the uncertainties. A comparison measurement for evaluation is given.