A simple measurement method of laser line width

THE PROBLEM
When a user wants to measure the width a laserline he must find a simple, but more precise method, than a school ruler. I tried it... My laser is a 635nm focusable red line lazer (5mW). It has .! mrad di"er#ence (on the documentation). $he type is %icotronic LC 635-5-3-F(14x45). WalterMo constructed a hi#h precision, professional system, which use a photodiode for measurin# the current at each steppin# sta#e of the line. &ee at'
http'((www.da"id)laserscanner.com(forum("iewtopic.php*t+3 ,hi#hli#ht+measurement-laser-line-width

I hadn.t similar tools (e/cept the blade), but ha"e printer, an#le meter, 6 Mp/ di#ital camera. If I pro0ect the line perpendicular to a flat surface the line width will be less then 1 mm. WalterMo measured ,32 mm for a similar (LC 650-5-3-F) module at 1 m distance. I can.t measure it manually...

A SIMPLE SOLUTION
If you rotate the pro0ection.s plain around the laser line (as a/is), the pro0ected width of the line will increase. $he relati"e width of the pro0ected line is' W + w 3 ct#n 4 where, 5w 6 is the width of the laser line on a surface which perpendicular to the line.s direction 546 is the an#le of the laser line (plain) and the pro0ection.s surface. I used 57 an#le between the laser plain and the pro0ection.s surface (see the 1th ima#e). It means that W + 11,!33 w 8 9/ample' WalterMo.s line will be near !,5 mm, if the distance 1 cm. It.s measurable well.

I printed a calibration net, which ha"e 5 mm fre:uency and it #lued on the surface. &ee the ;nd ima#e. I used 1; #(m;, white, 5en#ineerin#6 or 5technical6 paper. 4ny user can measure on the paper directly, but can use hi#h resolution di#ital ima#es for more precise measurements8 I made a series of photos, by a &ony <&=)>; camera. $he photos made in macro mode under low li#ht conditions. I used the camera.s self timer (; sec) a#ainst the resonance of the shootin#s. $he ima#e area was !,; cm / 3,; cm (you can see the 5 mm fre:uency #rid).

$he number of pi/els is ;?16 / ;11;. $he resolution on the ima#e' , 1!2 mm(pi/el 4fter the reconstraction the 5real6 (perpendicular) line width (usin# the formula) 1 pi/el on the ima#e is , 13 mm on the laser beam.

MEASUREMENTS
I made ? measurements. $he laser line was focused manually in all case. $he measurement distances were' 1 , ? , @ , 6 , 5 , ! , 3 , ; cm. I calculated ; width "alue in all case. 4 5yellow6 line width of the most intens area, and a 5red6 line width, which contains the less intens areas too. I not calculated the beam width by the 13,5A intensity limit. $he 5border6 of the 5yellow6 and 5red6 lines is based the #eneralization in my 5"isual brain6. I worBed in remote sensin# fotointerpretation pro0ects many times. ($he 5pi/el6 "alues are the a"era#es of ! measurements. $he #eneral difference from the a"era#e is ;)3 A.) Pixel Beam width (mm) 5Cellow6 line' ;;5 5Ded6 line' !?1 5Cellow6 line' ,;2 5Ded6 line' ,63

cm 5Cellow6 line' ; 6 5Ded6 line' 3@; 5Cellow6 line' ,;@ 5Ded6 line' ,!?

? cm 5Cellow6 line' 1?; 5Ded6 line' 3 1 5Cellow6 line' ,;! 5Ded6 line' ,32

@ cm

5Cellow6 line' 1? 5Ded6 line' ;@5

5Cellow6 line' ,;3 5Ded6 line' ,36

6 cm 5Cellow6 line' 16; 5Ded6 line' ;53 5Cellow6 line' ,;1 5Ded6 line' ,33

5 cm 5Cellow6 line' 1!6 5Ded6 line' ;; 5Cellow6 line' ,12 5Ded6 line' ,;2

! cm 5Cellow6 line' 1;3 5Ded6 line' 1@3 5Cellow6 line' ,16 5Ded6 line' ,;;

3 cm 5Cellow6 line' ?@ 5Ded6 line' 1;? 5Cellow6 line' ,11 5Ded6 line' ,1@

; cm WalterMo.s results on the similar laser module are between my measure) ments. 5 cm + .;3 mm 1 cm + .32 mm $he .! mrad di"er#ence "alue seems to be EF. (It results ,! mm di"er#ence on 1 cm distance.)

PLUS
I made 5surface models6 by the ima#es intensity "alues for the ; cm, and the 1 ima#es. $he thin ; cm distance laser line' cm distance

4nd the more wider 1 m distance laser line'

Cou may see that the most intense parts of the laser lines are on the top 5re#ions6 of the intensity rid#es. En this re#ions the intensity "alues aren.t "aryin#, but on the ed#es of the lines are decrease dramatically. Pataki Zsolt >un#ary, GHc