Key notes to the advancement of optical scanning (Keynote Paper)

Abstract

In forming an historical perspective of the development of optical scanning, we ask a probing question: What was the first major optical scanning innovation? We offer one having unexpected attributes, and seek audience ideas. We then demonstrate the pioneering work in Optical Scanning for information transfer --some created long before we arrived on the scene. Our job has been and is --Make it Faster and Better.The body of the presentation addresses how our technology advanced to this useful state. We then view some key signs of this progress Major device development starts with the mirrored reflectors, articulated in oscillation or in rotation. The High Inertia catagory concldues with holographic scanning. The Low Inertia groups, initiated with the Oscillatory scanners, continue into the Acoustooptic and the very fast Electrooptic domains. The quest for economic practicality gains special attention for the control of scanned beam misplacement, leading to precise opto-mechanical pixel and line positioning from cost-effective articulating scanning devices. The development concludes by describing some recent advancing technogies which utilize novel disciplines for precise low inertia random-access scanning.Some of the early progress was derived from work conducted by research groups which limited information distribution. Such constraint resulted from, e.g, security requirements, or specialized operational fields of interest, or simply from lack of interaction. Consequently, with limited early information transfer, other groups having related expertise or interest were delayed in the pursuit of this development. Commendation is accorded to the SPIE for recognizing early in the '70s (our First Conference entitled, Laser Recording, Vol. 53) the need for effective information transfer, by supporting and sustaining the forums for this technology for more than three decades.