ABSTRACT

Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Machine Design, Division of Mechatronics, 100 44 Stockholm, Sweden

2.1. INTRODUCTION

The development of optical devices, such as the semiconductor laser, the optical fiber, and the CCD Cameras have recently produced a variety of different equipment for industries, offices and homes, which are based on optic, mechanic, electronic and computer sciences. These systems are sometimes referred to as opto-mechatronic systems [1,2], and can for example be categorized in real-time optical information systems and real-time optical measurement systems. Information systems, such as hand held laser scanners used for storing information in a computer. Measurement systems, where the information of the measurements produces a system response.2A system can for example be symbolized by an autonomous mobile robot, using a fiber optic gyroscope together with pulsed laser diodes range finders based on time of flight measurements, for navigation control [3]. There are also combinations of these two categories such as optical disc storage systems [4,5]. In this case the measurement of the reflected light gives the stored data of the disc as well as information to keep the laser beam on the track of the disc. Focusing on

real-time optical measurement systems, this chapter will discuss aspects of mechatronic systems techniques.