# Camera-assisted method separates mirror defects from test alignment errors

_Published Thursday, November 12, 2026 at 10:06 PM EST · Science · Latest · Tier 2 — Notable_

![Camera-assisted method separates mirror defects from test alignment errors — Primary](https://scx2.b-cdn.net/gfx/news/hires/2026/glass-optics.jpg)

Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences demonstrated a method that separates fixed offsets inside a large mirror from temporary alignment errors in its test equipment. Applied to a four-meter-class monolithic mirror, it produced a combined standard uncertainty of 31 micrometers, according to a study in Measurement.

Four industrial cameras measured movement in the test path. Researchers used those measurements to remove its contribution from optical interference data, isolating the offset between reflecting surfaces. They also demonstrated feedback during polishing, when corrections remain possible. The method measures lateral displacement in a two-dimensional plane, rather than every component of relative position and orientation.

## Sources

- [Phys.org](https://phys.org/news/2026-11-vision-interferometry-calibration-large-monolithic.html)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/LYcYcoCCVV7jaAQD7i5pA0
Published: 2026-11-13T03:06:55.731Z
Story chronology: 2026-11-13T02:20:06.000Z
Retrieved: 2026-11-13T05:50:58.749Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)