title: Characterizing the shape of freeform optics.
abstract: A recently introduced method for characterizing the shape of rotationally symmetric aspheres is generalized here for application to a wide class of freeform optics. New sets of orthogonal polynomials are introduced along with robust and efficient algorithms for computing the surface shape as well as its derivatives of any order. By construction, the associated characterization offers a rough interpretation of shape at a glance and it facilitates a range of estimates of manufacturability.
authors.affiliation: QED Technologies Inc., 1040 University Ave., Rochester, New York 14607, USA. forbes@qedmrf.com
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Forbes
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D007909:Lenses; D008027:Light; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012542:Scattering, Radiation