Integrating Precision: Advancements in Mechanical and Electronic Components for Optocubes Optical Measurement Setups

Optical measuring setups are a valuable addition to different areas such as research or production quality control where optical characteristics are used to determine product properties or qualities. These setups are often expensive and highly specialized making them difficult to install or adapt to changing requirements. Especially for small enterprises or projects this can prove challenging or infeasible. The Optocubes project aims to reduce the expenditure related to the application of optical measuring setups by developing a modular construction framework that supports rapid prototyping and simplifies the introduction of photonic based concepts into industrial environments. The advantage of this construction framework lies in its flexibility, extensibility, and its comparably more affordable and readily available components while also maintaining a high level of reliability. The project is structured into three major parts: Optocubes, Optosense, and Optocam. Each of these sub-projects focuses on a different domain. Optocubes provides the main mechanical parts and construction principles of the modular construction framework. Optosense focuses on electronics and energy supply to allow the use of different sensors and evaluation and control electronics. Optocam supplies optical sensors that can be used for different photonic based measuring setups in the scope of the research project. The combination of the individual projects forms an overall system that enables users from any field to quickly develop and build optical measurement systems in an agile manner. This advantage allows smaller enterprises and even hobbyists or school projects to realize complex optical systems with low effort and costs.