A kaleidoscopic
laser beam
projector (KLBP)
system that employs a single moving structure to project patterns of sweeping
laser beams with diverse sweep directions and emission apertures. The
system comprises a
collimated light source, a
spinning mirror deflector (“spindle /
flutter mirror”) at the center, and a stationary kaleidoscopic mirror containing multiple
facet mirrors arranged in a concave fashion around the spindle mirror. As the spindle mirror rotates, it directs
laser beams in a radially whirling movement toward the
facet mirrors, which then subdivide these beams into multiple short strokes and redirect them outward in different directions. Various embodiments include configurations with diffractive optical elements (DOEs) for
beam splitting, different kaleidoscopic mirror geometries (hexagonal, octagonal, etc.), and innovative
flutter mirror mechanisms that create controlled angular variations during rotation. The
system enables a “4×1” configuration that replaces traditional “4×4” systems requiring eight motors and multiple moving structures. The KLBP system offers significant advantages including mechanical simplicity,
reduced size and weight, improved energy efficiency, enhanced reliability, cost-effectiveness, and modular configurability. The diverse beam incidence angles enable superior illumination of complex three-dimensional objects for applications in
machine vision systems, precision
metrology, gap and flushness inspection, and
robot-assisted
assembly of complex structures.