Rotation mechanisms for rotating a payload in two, first and second degrees of freedom (DOF), comprising a static base, a first rotation arm coupled mechanically to the static base through a first rotation joint and used for rotating the payload relative to the static base around a first rotation axis that passes through the first rotation joint, a second rotation arm coupled mechanically to the static base through a second rotation joint and used for rotating the payload relative to the static base around a second rotation axis that passes through the second rotation joint, and a follower member rigidly coupled to the payload and arranged to keep a constant distance from the second rotation arm, wherein the rotation of the first arm rotates the payload around the first DOF and the rotation of the second arm rotate the payload around the second DOF.

A driving mechanism is provided, including a fixed part, a movable part for holding an optical element, and a driving assembly. The movable part is movable relative to the fixed part, and the driving assembly is configured to drive the movable part to move relative to the fixed part. Light reaches the optical element along an incident direction and leaves the optical element along an exit direction, wherein the exit direction is not parallel to the incident direction.

An optical unit includes a movable body, a support, and a swing mechanism. The movable body includes an optical element that changes a traveling direction of light. The support supports the movable body in a manner that the movable body is swingable about a swing axis. One of the movable body and the support has at least three protrusions. The other of the movable body and the support has an axial center recess. The at least three protrusions are disposed on the same circumference about the swing axis. The recess constitutes at least a part of a circle around the swing axis.

An optical unit includes: a reflection portion that reflects an incident light flux incident from outside on a reflection surface in a reflection direction from an incident direction toward an imaging element; a movable body having the reflection portion and a holder supporting the reflection portion; a fixed body; a rotation support mechanism that causes the movable body to rotate with respect to the fixed body with an axial direction as a rotation axis; and a drive mechanism having a magnet and a coil and causing the movable body to rotate with respect to the fixed body. The magnet is provided at a position not contacting the reflection portion in the holder and on a back side of the reflection surface, and has a parallel surface parallel to the reflection surface. The coil is provided at a position opposing the magnet in the fixed body.

An optical unit includes a movable body, a support body, a swing mechanism, and a magnetic member. The movable body includes an optical element. The optical element reflects light, which travels to one side in a first direction, to one side in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The support body supports the movable body so as to be swingable about a swing axis. The swing mechanism swings the movable body about the swing axis. The magnetic member is arranged on the support body. The swing mechanism includes a magnet and a coil. The magnet is arranged at an end of the movable body in a direction intersecting the first direction. The coil opposes the magnet. The magnetic member is arranged on one side in the first direction with respect to the magnet.

An adjustable beam directing optical system for a focused laser differential interferometer (FLDI) instrument according to various aspects of the present technology may include an optical half waveplate to achieve an incident linear polarization orientation with equal components of laser intensity aligned to the vertical and horizontal axis of the optical system, and an optical prism for splitting these components of an incident laser beam into two orthogonally-polarized beams equally about an optical axis of the FLDI instrument. A series of beam realignment devices positioned downstream of the optical prism are configured to selectively direct each beam to a predetermined location.

An optical unit including a reflection portion, a movable body, a fixed body; and a rotation support mechanism that rotates the movable body with respect to the fixed body in an axial direction as a rotation axis, in which the rotation support mechanism has a U-shaped spring member disposed between the fixed body and the movable body in the axial direction and applies a force in a direction that widens the space between the fixed body and the movable body, the spring member has a rotation-axis first forming member, the movable body has a rotation-axis second forming member, and the rotation-axis first forming member and the rotation-axis second forming member are arranged at positions where a rotation axis passes through a center of gravity position of the movable body.

A lens device includes a lens module, a light splitting module and an image sensing module. The lens module includes an optical axis extended in a first direction. The light splitting module is configured to split light coming from the lens module into at least a first light beam and a second light beam, wherein the first light beam and the second light beam have wavelengths of different ranges. The image sensing module includes a plurality of image sensing units corresponding to the first light beam and the second light beam respectively, wherein the image sensing units are disposed at different sides of the light splitting module to sense the corresponding light beam.

A folded camera that includes two light folding elements such as prisms and an independent lens system, located between the two prisms, which includes an aperture stop and a lens stack. The lens system may be moved on one or more axes independently of the prisms to provide autofocus and/or optical image stabilization for the camera. The shapes, materials, and arrangements of the refractive lens elements in the lens stack may be selected to capture high resolution, high quality images while providing a sufficiently long back focal length to accommodate the second prism.

A rotating steering mirror assembly comprising a first wedge rotatable relative to a base and a second wedge rotatable relative to the first wedge to controllably tilt a mirror on an outward- or forward-facing surface of the second wedge. Respective motors can independently rotate the first and second wedges.