What is angular resolution?

What is angular resolution and what does it do?  This is a fairly straightforward question with a fairly simple answer.  Put simply the angular resolution is the angle (in degrees) between scan points for a safety laser scanner.  Think of a circle with 360 degrees, this is similar to a safety laser scan field.  If you had a scanner which took a measurement in 1-degree increments you would say that the scanner has an angular resolution of 1 degree. 

The angular resolution is a very important metric when determining objects (i.e. leg or hand)vs dust or particulate in a scanning field.  The lower the angular resolution, the closer the measurement points are resulting in "seeing" smaller objects.  So the lower the angular resolution = more beams = better safety quality.

Many safety laser scanner products utilize a rotating mirror to redirect the laser beam in the circular pattern in the scanning field.  The rotating mirror technology limits the scanner (especially at long range) while spinning resulting in a higher angular resolution and fewer beams.  Eliminating the mirror from the design and instead rotating the laser allows for a lower angular resolution, more beams at longer range.  Leuze Electronic is the first safety laser scanner manufacturer to develop this technology. 

Safety laser scanners are designed to monitor an area to keep personnel and machinery safe.  The laser optics of the safety laser scanner determine what is in a monitored area by "seeing" potential objects/obstructions vs dust and particulate.  Better laser optics eliminate false alarms or nuisance alarms.  This allows for Leuze to be one of the "Safest" safety laser scanners on the market.  Safety is not a commodity when lives are at stake.