The Wavefront Inspector
THE CHALLENGE
The windshield: an active optical component
The optical performance of an ADAS area depends on the geometry and optical properties of the windshield.
The windshield is an active part of the ADAS camera optical systems, introducing optical distortion and blurriness.
Small variations in shape, curvature or optical power can affect the behaviour of systems positioned behind the windshield. Measuring these characteristics accurately is essential for understanding and validating optical performance.
The challenge of production-line optical inspection
The challenge for the industrie is to isolate the effect of the windshield from the overall integrated ADAS system in order to perform 100% quality control on the production line.
Wavefront measurement and system characterization
The simplest and most efficient way to perform windshield-only related optical inspection is to measure the wavefront of the glazing and combine it with the wavefront of the camera lens in order to characterize the performence of the full optical system. This makes it possible to extrapolate the relevant metrics (optical power, optical distortion, MTF) without having the camera lens physically on production line.
WF Inspector is Snellium’s solution for this application. Built on Snellium’s patented deflectometry technology, it delivers fast, complete wavefront measurement in a single system.
WHAT IS THE WF INSPECTOR?
Wavefront Inspector provides detailed optical measurements of the ADAS area, combining geometry and optical characterization in a single inspection solution.
It measures the full optical information derived from the detected shape of the ADAS area.
WHAT CAN BE EVALUATED?
Depending on the application, configuration and available specifications, the WF Inspector can be used to investigate:
Inner/outer shape map
Measure the inner and outer shape of the ADAS area to characterize the windshield geometry
Inner / Outer Curvature Map
Characterize the inner and outer curvature of the ADAS area and identify local variations in geometry
Optical Power Map
Measure the optical power distribution across the ADAS area and identify local variations that may affect camera performance
Beam Deviation
Measure beam deviation to characterize changes in the direction of transmitted light caused by the windshield
Wavefront
Measure the wavefront transmitted through the ADAS area to characterize how the windshield affects the propagation of light
Wavefront - MTF derived Measurement
Derive MTF-related information from the measured wavefront to evaluate the potential impact of the windshield on camera image quality
WHY USE THE WF INSPECTOR?
Comprehensive Measurement
Combine geometric and optical measurements in a single solution
Detailed Mapping
Visualize shape, curvature and optical power variations across the full ADAS area
Non-Contact Inspection
Perform optical characterization without physical in contact with the glazing
Single-Shot Inspection
Capture the complete optical information of the ADAS area in a single measurement
KPIs comparison table for ADAS windshield area
| Wavefront Inspector device | Direct MTF device (slanted edge) | Direct MTF device (Collimator) | Refractive Power device | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Suitable for
production |
– | |||
Full Angular
Field of View
(AFoV) |
– |
– | ||
Optical
Distortion |
– |
– | ||
MTF |
– | |||
Camera lens
free |
– |
– | ||
Beam Deviation |
– |
– |
– |
Applications
From development to quality control, WF Inspector helps teams evaluate the optical performance of the windshield.