Optical engineering in South Africa from 1960 to 2010 and beyond

Abstract

From its humble beginnings in an optical workshop in the Mowbray office for Triangulation in the 1930s and the subsequent formation of the Division for Optics and Spectroscopy at the National Physical Research Laboratory within the CSIR during the 1950s, optical engineering has blossomed to a vibrant electro-optical industry in the twenty-first century. From a primarily research-oriented origin in the 1960s, optical engineering has grown to an engineering and product driven industry today. The South African optical engineering industry focuses on small niche markets, with world class products. The paper closes with a review of lessons learnt. With a measure of anticipation, we then venture to predict some future outcomes in the exciting field of optical engineering in South Africa.