Non-contact sensor having improved laser spot

A non-contact sensing system for acquiring three-dimensional information, comprising:

• a laser light source generating an elliptical-shaped laser beam;
• an output fiber configured to receive the laser beam and operable to output an optical beam having a circular shape and energy with a Gaussian distribution;
• a movable mirror receiving the optical beam and angularly adjusted to scan the optical beam in an area of illumination;
• a lens package positioned between the laser light source and the movable mirror receiving the optical beam from the output fiber and focusing the optical beam to under-fill an optical surface of the movable mirror;
• a fixed fold mirror receiving the optical beam from the movable mirror, the fold mirror and the movable mirror together redirecting the optical beam orthogonally with respect to an orientation of the optical beam generated by the laser light source;
• an imaging device having a field of view intersecting with the area of illumination thereby receiving image data of the optical beam reflected from the area of illumination;
• and
• a control module in data communication with the imaging device, operating to determine a location of an object in the field of view of the imaging device from the image data and report location data of the object to a coordinate system.

A non-contact sensing system for acquiring three-dimensional information, comprising:

• a diode defining a laser light source operating to emit a laser beam;
• an optical fiber configured to receive the laser beam at one end and operates to output an optical beam at the opposing end of the fiber, the optical beam having a circular shape and energy with a Gaussian distribution;
• a collimating lens configured to receive the optical beam from the optical fiber and collimate rays of the optical beam;
• at least one reducer lens configured to receive the collimated optical beam from the collimating lens and operates to reduce diameter of the collimated optical beam to a value less than the diameter of the optical beam output by the optical fiber, the reducer lens includes achromatic doublet;
• a movable mirror configured to the optical beam from the at least one reducer lens and operable to angularly scan the optical beam in an area of illumination, wherein the movable mirror is further defined as a micro electro-mechanical system that operates to change the angle of the movable mirror within a range from approximately 1 to approximately 6 degrees;
• a fold mirror configured to receive the optical beam from the movable beam and orientated to direct the optical beam orthogonally with respect to path the optical beam is incident upon the movable mirror;
• an imaging device having a field of view intersecting with the area of illumination thereby receiving image data of the optical beam reflected from the area of illumination;
• and
• a control module in data communication with the imaging device operating to receive a location of an object in the field of view of the imaging device from the image data and report location data of the object to a coordinate system.