Gonioscope/Goniolens question

[Galvonaut]

Scouring the interwebs for potential 360 degree laser scanning solutions for dome projection, I came across the Gonioscope - a combination of lens and multiple mirrors.

From my research, other than the fact that most of these have multiple mirrors, which would mess up graphics rather a lot, I thought they hinted at a dome projection solution, if I could find something similar except with a single, continuous mirror. What do others think?

I expect that our optics friends here will tell me it won't work but please do - I know very little about optics other than some ray diagrams I did in my photographic training, so have some way to go before I understand even what I am trying to achieve, let alone how to do it!

I wondered if anyone on PL had any experience with these lovely looking bits of kit?

Keith

[Galvonaut]

I've just found this article regarding a Aspheric Panoramic Wide–Field Lens for Gonioscopy. Maybe worth some experimentation?

[buffo]

Send a PM to Flecom (or, with any luck, he might post here about it). He found a fish-eye lens that was sold by a major camera manufacturer (I believe it was Canon, but I'm not certain) that was the same focal length as the Pangolin Disco-scan lens. It allows you to project images on a dome. It was amazingly affordable too - less than $200.

Adam

[laserist]

AVI scans through a fisheye lens. Pangolin has/had an interesting little spherical mirror thingy about a decade and a half ago...

Scouring the interwebs for potential 360 degree laser scanning solutions for dome projection, I came across the Gonioscope - a combination of lens and multiple mirrors.

From my research, other than the fact that most of these have multiple mirrors, which would mess up graphics rather a lot, I thought they hinted at a dome projection solution, if I could find something similar except with a single, continuous mirror. What do others think?

I expect that our optics friends here will tell me it won't work but please do - I know very little about optics other than some ray diagrams I did in my photographic training, so have some way to go before I understand even what I am trying to achieve, let alone how to do it!

I wondered if anyone on PL had any experience with these lovely looking bits of kit?

Keith

[Galvonaut]

Thanks Buffo and Laserist.

That sounds great Buffo. I would rather have an apochromatic lens for obvious reasons, although laser light is quite different to what a photographic lens is designed for, so not sure if an apo lens would help with laser light beam focussing.

Laserist: I've been looking at the pango discoscan lens and discussed with Bill by email - no good due to divergence. I've not discussed the dazzler though and noticed that a very similar system is now sold for doing 360 degree video and photography. A few people have recommended reflecting from a sphere but I suspect losses may great and divergence worse. I'll have to give it a go once my single mode kits arrive.

Keith

[buffo]

AVI scans through a fisheye lens.

The Pangolin Disco-Scan lens is similar to the AVI Omni-scan lens. Both are essentially large aperture fish-eye lenses.

Pangolin has/had an interesting little spherical mirror thingy about a decade and a half ago...

That's the Dazzler that Keith mentioned. It's basically a mirrored hemisphere, but it yields an effect similar to the Disco-scan. It's a lot cheaper though, for obvious reasons.

Adam