Whole-viewing-angle cat's-eye retroreflector as a target of laser trackers

Abstract

A spherical cat's-eye retroreflector made from a glass material having a refractive index of two was developed. The geometrical sphericity of the cat's eye and the sphericity examined optically were approximately 100 nm and 500 nm respectively. The discrepancy between these two values is discussed. This optical device is very versatile in terms of applications since it is free from viewing angle restrictions.