Analysis on Glass-Bead Type Retroreflector's Optical Characteristics

Retroreflector is different from other reflecting surfaces as it mades reflection in which radiation is returned in directions close to its incoming direction. Because of this characteristics, retroreflectors find many applications in traffic safety related areas. Retroreflectors are usually made using comer cubes, or partially coated glass beads. These glass beads can be made very small, so that they can be coated on sheets or mixed with paints. The design of glass type retroreflector depends on glass bead's shape and material, and its optical characteristics are related to the refractive index of glass. In this paper, a method of anlyzing glass bead type retroreflector's sptical characteristics with respect to shape and optica property of the glass, is presented. First, the coefficient of retroreflection, which is a measure of retroreflector's optical characteristics, is derived analytically using geometrical optics method. And the result is plotted using numerical methods. The results show good match with those obtained experimentally, which were supplied from a commercial retroreflector manufacturer.