Optical systems design method based on glass material cost

In the design of optical systems for consumer-grade optical products, achieving a balance between imaging performance and systems cost is crucial for enhancing product competitiveness. As a significant component of system cost, the selection and optimization of optical materials directly affect the system configuration, performance, and economic efficiency. This paper proposes a design method based on glass materials cost, which comprehensively considers the materials relative price, tolerance grade, and volume. The method quantitatively evaluates the trade-off between image quality and material cost at the design phase. The simulation results indicate that under the precondition of less than 5% variation in system image quality, the cost reduction of the optimal design solution reaches 37%. This study provides what we believe to be a novel and practical design approach to improving the cost-performance ratio of optical systems.