Meet Fermat

'First Time Right' means succeeding at the first attempt, without the need for time-consuming and costly corrections. At Fermat, 'First Time Right' stands for getting the optical design and fabrication right from the start to enhance your process efficiency and product quality.

As a spin-off by the Brussels Photonics Team and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel our mission is to deliver 'First Time Right' imaging optics solutions tailored to our customers’ very specific needs.

Our offer and services to industry

At Fermat, we deliver imaging optics solutions tailored to your needs

Optical design studies

From the design of optical systems based on off-the-shelf lenses, all-spherical optics, or advanced freeform optics: we are ready to explore the entire parameter space of your imaging application.

Design and innovation

We offer tailored system design solutions that are precisely aligned with your application-specific requirements, constraints, tolerances, and budget considerations.

Design to fabrication

Our strategic partnership with the Photonics Innovation Center and its optics fabrication pilot line enables us to offer you a single-entry point from optical design to fabrication and metrology.

'First Time Right' for you

For exclusive customers we develop and deploy highly customized 'First Time Right'-based software solutions that can increase your productivity significantly.

Why choose us?

Whatever industry you are in

Our vast experience ranges from Agri-food, Automotive, Consumer Electronics, Space Instruments, Medical Devices, Optical Inspection, Surveillance & Security to Machine Vision applications and more.

Whatever your challenges are

We can brain-storm new design concepts, provide detailed consultations, design and development services, optical engineering and testing, as well as rapid prototyping.

Whatever your innovation goals

Whether you face a very tight volume constraint, require cost-effective solutions or if you have any other highly specific need,
we are here to help you.

Our 'First Time Right' philosophy

We integrate your specs, constraints and tolerances seamlessly right from the start to improve your process efficiency and final product quality.

'First Time Right' optical imaging systems

These are the key features of our unique and patented 'First Time Right' (FTR) design approach

Large variety of potential designs

With our non-iterative and holistic search for solutions we offer a highly systematic evaluation of the entire parameter space.

Lenses and mirrors of any shapes

FTR greatly facilitates the design of imaging systems with any combination of elements with spherical, aspherical or freeform shapes to deliver best results.

Design using off-the-shelf lenses

Such systems offer convenience and cost-effectiveness for various applications where a custom optical design is not required.

Cost-optimized optical design

We offer performance and cost-optimized (re-)design solutions that ensure an optimal producibility with our partner PanDao.

Meet our core team

With 50+ years of joint experience in optical system design, innovation and projects with industry

Fabian Duerr

Chief architect

Fabian is an enthusiastic optical design expert covering the full spectrum from nonimaging to imaging optics design. He is the inventor of the 'First Time Right' method, enabling the design of exceptional imaging systems from scratch. He shares his passion for freeform optics as chair of Optica's Freeform Optics conference & as topical editor for Optics Letters.

Hugo Thienpont

Innovation & Business

Hugo is an experienced initiator and coordinator of international research projects and innovation initiatives in support of the photonics industry. Notable projects include ACTPHAST 4.0, and PhotonHub Europe. His outstanding leadership in optics and photonics has been acknowledged by prestigious awards, including the SPIE Gold Medal in 2020.

Alejandro Madrid-Sánchez

Optical Developer and Engineer

Alejandro stands out as a highly skilled problem solver and optical engineer. His expertise in optical design is seamlessly integrated with a strong proficiency in algorithm development, optimization techniques, and machine learning capabilities. His blend of expertise converges to drive innovative solutions in the field of optics and engineering.

Selected References

F. Duerr, and H. Thienpont, "Freeform imaging systems: Fermat’s principle unlocks 'first time right' design", Light Sci. Appl. 10, 95 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41377-021-00538-1
Y. Nie, D. R. Shafer, H. Ottevaere, H. Thienpont, and F. Duerr, "Automated freeform imaging system design with generalized ray tracing and simultaneous multi-surface analytic calculation", Opt. Express 29, 17227-17245 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.426207
F. Duerr, and H. Thienpont, "First Time Right freeform optics: a systematic and highly effective tool to design imaging systems from scratch", Photonics Views, 18: 52-56 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1002/phvs.202100047
F. Duerr and H. Thienpont "Optical design of first time right imaging systems", Proc. SPIE 12315, Optical Design and Testing XII, 123150E (2022). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2643713
A. Madrid-Sánchez, J. Ortiz-Ocampo, C. Trujillo, F. Duerr, and H. Ottevaere "Genetic algorithm enables off-the-shelf optical system design: the scan lens case", International Optical Design Conference, 127980X (2023). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2692102
F. Duerr, O. Faehnle, and H. Thienpont "Starting point generation for imaging systems under practical constraints", International Optical Design Conference, 127980R (2023). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2691992

Parameter space is where the 'magic' in the design happens

Visualizing N-dimensional spaces proves challenging, even for basic systems with two or three lenses. Such spaces often contain numerous local minima, resulting in a complex landscape characterized by hills and valleys determined by design variables/parameters. There is a risk of drawing too simplified conclusions from these basic cases and just extrapolate to higher dimensions. It is tempting to assume that more complex cases merely feature an extension of the same hill-and-valley merit-function topography into a higher N-dimensional space.

The reality check moment

In practical designs, however, the merit function exhibits much greater intricacy compared to basic counterparts. This results in the presence of finer structural details within the parameter landscape, also featuring smaller irregularities. For example, the peak of a mountain might contain locals dip capable of capturing the design and confining it within a highly unfavorable local minimum. Any local or global optimization approach can only attempt to explore parts of this very obscure N-dimensional space in a finite amount of time and at relatively high computational cost. So far, we have not even talked about real-world constraints on top of the nominal optical design parameters. In that sense, 'First Time Right' is radically different:

Exploring the vast parameter space with 'First Time Right'

The core concept behind our proprietary 'First Time Right' approach is to radically reduce the dimensionality of the parameter space. In a nutshell, our all-analytic calculations provide the surfaces shapes ensuring that all aberrations are simultaneously minimized and balanced per aberration order. This drastic reduction of the initial N parameter space dimensions greatly enhances the speed and efficiency of local and global optimization as well as machine learning-based approaches. Consequently, we can perform an unprecedented in-depth search of this reduced sub-parameter space. Finally, as the design parameters have been largely reduced to a minimum, we can incorporate real-world constraints, tolerances, and costs right from the start.

Exemplary visuals of design parameter spaces

A monochromatic f/8 two-lens objective:
This basic optical system with 50 mm focal length already features multiple local minima with similar performance. For further simplification, both the lens thicknesses and the distance in-between have been kept constant.

An achromatic f/8 doublet lens design:
With a 50 mm focal length, only six considered standard glasses and all thicknesses fixed, there are many local minima. Even worse, a considered broader glass library leads to a large numbers of material combinations.

'First Time Right' f/3 three-freeform mirrors:
This design requires only six alignment variables - in stark contrast to over forty directly calculated surface coefficients.
It highlights FTR's efficient reduction of parameter space dimensions for a very thorough design landscape evaluation.

How can we help you?

Contact us and learn about what we can do

Phone

+32 473 361202

Email

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Address

Vollezelestraat 46-48, 1755 Gooik, Belgium