Drones
Drones and similar aerial applications present unique challenges during flight, necessitating specific considerations for optical solutions. Over the years, drone applications have expanded to include inspection, mapping, delivery, security, agriculture, and warehouse management. A common requirement across these flight applications, whether a rotor or wing-based drone, is the need for lightweight lenses, as every additional ounce on a drone impacts its overall performance and flight time. Often, lenses must be specially designed to meet the unique demands of each application.
Many drones undertake extensive flight durations and operate in rigorous environments, drawing demanding requirements for each system component. As a result, lenses for these applications are typically all-glass, high-resolution fisheye lenses that are lightweight and have low F/#s. Many of these products require 8 megapixels or more of resolution, particularly in the M12 format, and commonly feature lenses weighing less than 12 grams. In some instances, high dynamic range (HDR), Day/Night operation w/ or w/o additional IR illumination(RGBIR), and lens heaters are integrated into the optical system. This is especially important for drones, where superior performance is crucial.
Sunex is proud to have developed projects with leading companies across all drone applications, further advancing the technology driving this industry.
All graphs are for illustration purposes only. The individual lens performance can be different.
Feature Products
| PN | Format | MP Class | HFOV | F/# | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DSL217 | 1/4" | 5MP | 185° | F/1.8 | Hybrid lens, ultra lightweight, ultralow F/# |
| DSL218 | 1/3" | 5MP | 180° | F/2 | All-glass, ultra lightweight, compact |
| DSL219 | 1/2" | 10MP | 163° | F/2 | All-glass, high resolution |
| DSL166 | 1/1.7" | 8MP | 120° | F/1.6 | All-glass, HDR, ultralow F/# |
| DSL618 | 1/2.3" | 12MP | 185° | F/1.8 | Hybrid lens, high resolution, large FOV, ultralow F/# |
| DSL619 | 1/3" | 12MP | 185° | F/1.8 | Hybrid lens, high resolution, large FOV, ultralow F/# |
| DSL255 | 1/2.3" | 14MP | 185° | F/2 | All-glass lens, very high resolution, lightweight |
| DSL239 | 1/2" | 14MP | 180° | F/2.4 | All-glass lens, very high resolution, lightweight |
| DSL491 | 1/2.3" | 16MP | 117° | F/2.8 | All-glass lens, very high resolution, HDR |
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Additional Topics related to Diagnostic Imaging lenses
Active Alignment Capabilities
We recommend that our customers consider an active alignment process to achieve the highest system performance when pairing a high-quality lens with a high-resolution sensor. Our active alignment services can grow with the ramp of the program and enable an active alignment process from the beginning. Applying a fully automated 6-axis active alignment in mass production increases yield, shortens cycle times, improves system performance, and lowers part-to-part variance.
Athermalization
The shift of a lens’s focal point over a wide temperature range is a physical phenomenon based on the material-specific expansion and contraction with temperature. A decrease in image quality could be the outcome if the focal point of the lens relative to the sensor’s image plane shifts too much. A fully athermalized system requires appropriate optical and mechanical materials, the development of the right design strategy, and the collaboration of the customer to optimize thermal performance on a system level. The result is a consistent performance over a wide temperature range.
Fast Prototyping
We provide prototyping services for complete lens assemblies often as the first step after a new custom design.
Sunex can produce prototypes with short lead times to verify the design before transitioning further on the path to mass production using state-of-the-art fabrication processes for glass and plastic optical elements and all mechanical components.