One System. Six Advantages.
- Maximum Flexibility – Goniophotometry in near and far field: Goniophotometry in near and far field, multiple detector systems combined in one device.
- Extremely quick scans – fast Class L photometer shortens: The fast Class L photometer shortens the measurement duration. This means: hemisphere within approximately 120 seconds.
- Variable size: robogonio in numerous sizes: The robogonio is available in multiple variations (with a payload of 6 kg to up to 1000 kg), special additions are available. Our official system partner: the KUKA Deutschland GmbH.
- Maximum precision – highest angle repeatability: The robogonio offers highest angle repeatabilities of up to 0.005° as well as a photometer of the highest class (L).
- Intuitive operation - easy to use: The robogonio is easy to operate. Complicated and error-prone measurements with mirror goniophotometers are a thing of the past.
- All-round carefree package – your partner from start to finish: From the complete planning of our system over component calibration to competent after-sales support, we are pleased to support you.
Ten machine sizes - multiple goniophotometer configurations
robogonio combines the flexibility of a KUKA industrial robot with the precision of the opsira light measurement technique. Depending on the request, different detectors can be combined with robogonios of various sizes.
The crucial configuration attributes are
- size and payload of the robogonio
- detector equipment
This opens up countless possibilities for the configuration of your own robogonio. The choice of goniophotometer is facilitated by the three product lines with clearly defined detector equipment.
Many goniophotometer types - one device
With its six axes, the robogonio combines multiple goniophotometer types into one device, defined in the following standards:
- DIN 5032-1
- DIN EN 13032-1
- CIE 121
- CIE S 025
Especially type 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3 are a piece of cake for the robogonio. In these types, the detector stays stationary while the sample (light source, luminaire, display, LED …) rotates around its axes, entirely conform to the latest standardization DIN EN 13032-4, CIE S 025.
The goniophotometer robogonio
Three product lines - numerous varieties
Limitless Combinations: More than 100 configurations possible
robogonio alpha line
- Detector: Standard photometer frc-f
- The alpha line is equipped with the solid photometer frc‘3 for luminous intensity measurements. Measurements of the luminous intensity distribution are conducted step by step with the desired measurement resolution. A typical LID measurement takes approximately 100 minutes.
- Example configuration: robogonio alpha 8
The advantage of this approach is certainly that the DUT keeps its orientation with respect to the direction of gravity at all times during the measurement. However, a series of disadvantages like the fairly large mechanical structure, trouble with the mirrors flatness, spectral response and dustiness as well as very high system costs make this approach quite often unreasonable. Furthermore, the mirror method suffers from unpredictable and uncorrectable multi-interflexions of light between the luminaire and the mirror. Misreadings might occur.
The mirror goniophotometer lost its importance even more because the influence to the photometric properties of the DUT due to an arbitrary rotation in space decreased tremendously with LED based lighting systems. Convential lighting systems, e.g. based on gas discharge sources, necessarily needed this kind of goniophotometer. LED based systems don´t.
This trend is accomodated by recent standardization efforts, too. The fairly new European standardfor the measurement of SSL driven systems, EN DIN 13032-4, issued in 2013, explicitly states the arbitrary rotation of the SSL driven DUT during the goniophotometric measurement. Complex and expensive mirror systems are not needed anymore.
Near field vs. far field Goniophotometer
Some decades ago a new application arose. So far, the different goniophotometer types mentioned before had been used almost solely in the far field. That means that the detector system (photometer)had been positioned in a reasonable distance to the DUT to reduce the geometrical error in the calculation of the luminous intensity in a range smaller than 1%. In the far field approach, the DUT itself is considered to be a point source without any extent.
The new goniophotometric method of measuring in the near field is motivated by two reasons: A demand for systems that are able to measure the luminous intensity distribution of even large DUTs in small space or small distance respectively, but still with a geometrical error small enough to receive reasonable results and demand for much more detailed information about the DUTs. Not only the luminous intensity distribution coming from a virtual point in space, but also the space-resolved information about how and where the light is emitted from the DUT is of significant interest.
While the first application of near-field measurements generates the same information as the traditional far-field approach (the far-field luminous intensity distribution), the second reason is of larger importance. By using the knowledge of the spatially-resolved emission all around a light source, detailed ray files can be derived for the use in optics design software packages to achieve close to reality simulation results.
The DUT (light source or luminaire) is rotated about a vertical axis that is fixed in space (azimuth axiswith red arrow) and the detector is rotated about a fixed horizontal axis (zenith axis with green arrow). Contrary to the two setups described before, the axes are not coupled in this goniophotometer type.
A very important fact is that a standard photometer is not suffiicient for the spatially-resolved measurement. An imaging detector like a luminance camera is needed. The amount of data obtainedis much higher than with a traditional goniophotometer.
Next generation goniophotometry
The fundamental new way of realizing goniophotometric measurements is the use of an industry robot to perform the necessary movements and rotations. With a total number of six rotation axes, this machine called robogonio is able to realize the mentioned coordinate systems easily in one machine; for far-field and for near-field applications.
Industry robots have been used since quite a bit in production environments. Why didnít we see the robogonio way of doing goniophotometry much earlier?
For one thing, due to the strongly rising need of robots in the production field, mainly in automotive production, the number of robots produced per year rose tremendously and thus the price of therobots came into a range where it became very interesting for goniophotometer applications. Another reason is that the precision of the robots improved in the last decade to a level comparable or even better than the angular accuracy of the traditional goniophotometers.
Leadng to a number of significant advantages:
- Arbitrary coordinate systems, eg. 1.1 or 1.3 or type A or type C goniometer respectively, can be realized with one single machine now.
- The mechanical structure of an industry robot is amazingly stable and rigid with a very high reliability in comparison to the the traditional goniophotometers produced in a comparably low volume only.
- Due to the flexibility of the robogonio axes, the center of rotation isnít fixed anymore and can be choosen arbitrarily in space.
- Multiple, even far distant pivot points can be realized easily in one measurement (e.g. different lighting functions of a complete car head lamp).
- The overall construction is much less restrictive for the measurement of large or long DUTs. As a result the measurement of long luminaire structures can be preformed with the robogonio much easier (e.g. very wide CHMSLs).
- A large number of different robot sizes is available and thus robogonios starting at a payload of 6 kg up to a payload of more than 1000 kg are available.
- Quite fast measurements are possible. A complete 2 pi LID with high resolution can be measured in about 2 minutes.
The standard DIN EN 13032-4 requires heating up the SSL lighting fixtures in standard working orientation (typically vertically downwards in most general lighting applications) for at least 15 min before measurement. After the heating-up period, the fixture is oriented to point to the detector (typically horizontally). The robogonio is able to realize the heating-up position and the measurement position automatically in one run due to its axial flexibility, allowing a much more individually adjustable setup.
Current developments in photonics use new materials to combine light conversion and light scattering. High power density, small dimensions and the mutual influence of conversion and scattering make a simulation of light conversion and light scattering impossible. Spectrally resolved scattered light measurements are a crucial prerequisite for the development of even more efficient light sources.
The standard measurement method for determining the BSDF (bidirectional scattering distribution function) / BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) is goniophotometry. The sample is mounted on a specimen fixture. Lighting and a detector are positioned relatively around the sample. Scattered light goniophotometers have a complex and expensive setup and are slow. In the project, a new, fast and cost-effective solution for scattered light measurement was developed. Thus, a new module is added to the proven opsira robotic goniophotometer (robogonio) to enable fast and cost-effective spectrally resolved scattered light measurements.
The robogonio is a very versatile system to realize the relative solid angles and distances between the DUT (luminaire, lamp) and the detector system required for photometric measurements in a very wide range.
The aim of the project was to develop an additional module for the robogonio, which realizes the need of at least 2 more axes without an additional device, but as an additional "claw" attached to the robogonio.
The new robogonio BSDF will be presented during the next Light+Building Tade Show from October 2nd to 6th, 2022 in Frankfurt/Main in Germany, opsira Stand F70 – Hall 8.0.
This Project is supported by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) on the basis of a decision by the German Bundestag.
Automotive
In the automotive industry, two aspects of photometric measurement are of particular importance: Results need to be delivered extremely quick and authoritative and the measurements have to be executed with the finest angular resolutions so that the tests comply with the applicable standards.
The robogonio meets both of these criteria perfectly. The speedy high-end-photometer reduces the time required for classic goniometric measurements to a few minutes. Moreover, the robogonio permits angular resolutions of 0.01°, thus enabling precise observance of the cut-off line.
Luminaires
Constantly launching new variants of luminaires, easily providing light planners with far field data (IES or EULUMDAT), and quickly generating the requiredc LED data. The robogonio stands for a measuring solution that fulfills all these requirements with ease.
The optional spectrometer also enables color-over-angle measurements. Optic designers can now determine how the color changes at certain angles and whether unwanted color effects occur.
Another important aspect is the measurement of the total luminous flux in relation to the consumed electrical power. Luminous flux efficiency in lumen/watt as well as energy efficiency classes can be determined directly.
Signal lights
Luminous intensity distribution is an essential factor for measuring traffic lights, railway signals, beacons or signal towers for production lines. Some applications present the additional challenge of the front and back light exit windows having to emit the exact required quantity of light.
Here, the robogonio impresses with its flexibility since it can measure the luminous intensity distribution in both directions using arbitrary cebtres of rotation in space.
Standard-relevant testing areas are covered automatically by the robogonio.
For fast and efficient work, the robogonio enables integrating user-defined measuring processes.
The LED market is fast-moving, and the trend goes to increasingly small luminaires with continuously improved optics. The light lab of LED Linear, the specialist for linear illumination systems, has been accredited by the DAkkS in acc. with DIN ISO/IEC 17025 since the middle of 2018 and is designed for precisely these challenges.
Dino Iavarone, head of measuring technology, explains how LED Linear does it: "We use the most modern measuring technology. Also, the robogonio goniophotometer allows us to perform measurements very fast and precisely. Speed is worth real money nowadays." In addition, the color spectrum and temperature can even be measured in the outmost angle of radiation. "Making these values quantifiable is becoming increasingly important in optics development." The product development at LED Linear
profits from all these advantages just as much as smaller manufacturers without an accredited lab, because all services are also available to external customers.
Customized configuration
Goniometer size and configuration as per your needs and sprecial requirements.
Configuration | Detectors / Systems | |
|---|---|---|
| -f | Goniophotometer (far field, included in the alpha line) | Photometer frc’3 |
| -l | Goniophotometer (far field, included in the pro and top line) | fast High-End-Photometer (class L) frc-f-l |
| -spc | Goniospectrometer | Spectrometer spec'3 |
| -spr | Goniospectroradiometer | Spectroradiometer spr’3 |
| -si | Near field goniophotometer (near field, far field, ray data) | Luminance measuring camera luca Photometer frc'3 |
| -sic | Ray data goniophotometer (near field, far field, ray data, polychromatic) | Luminance and colorimetry camera luca'color and spectroradiometer spr'3 |
| -rr | Goniophotometer system for measuring the retro-reflection | High-end photometer (class L) frc-f-l, projector |
| -h | Auxiliary photometer according to DIN EN 13032-4 | Photometer frc'3 (small design) |
| -phi-f | Luminous intensity and luminous flux measurement with a stationary light source | Photometer frc'3 with 7th axis |
| -phi-l | Luminous intensity and luminous flux measurement with a stationary light source | fast High-End-Photometer (class L) frc-f-l with 7th axis |
| -fis | Goniophotometric flash measurement (effective flash light strength according to Blondel-Rey or Schmidt-Clausen) | only available in conjunction with an -l robogonio |
Goniophotometer Trainings for your use case and requirements - on site or in the opsira light lab
For quick and efficient work with the robogonio, we offer various training modules. Team training can be conducted on our in-house opsira demo system before your own robogonio is delivered. On the other hand, we also offer a basic training course on site, which takes place after your robogonio has been set up. Both options aim to familiarise all employees with basic topics such as goniophotometric measurements, the measurement of luminous intensity distributions and/or ray data, implementation of software and how to evaluate the results.
The advanced training takes place four to eight weeks after the basic module as a follow-up course. Here, we cover all questions that might have come up during the first measurements and deliver a deeper understanding to the users on what the robogonio has to offer.
We also offer basic training courses on the topics of general photometry, colorimetry, and optical measurement technologies.
Please contact General Manager
Jürgen P. Weißhaar:
Phone +49 751 561890
weisshaar@opsira.de