Software company opdo has launched an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven platform that aims to simplify the complex task of optical system design.
With a focus on making optical engineering more accessible, the platform uses AI to generate detailed, manufacturable designs from a simple prompt, handling the process from start to finish in just minutes.
Opdo was founded by 3YOURMIND Founder and Berlin-based 3D printer manufacturer xolo’s Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) Stephan Kuehr alongside Berlin manufacturer’s former AI engineer and optics specialist Yousef Arzhangnia. Their shared goal is to help engineers quickly move from an idea to a production-ready optical system without getting bogged down in the traditional, time-consuming development cycle.
“opdo makes optical design as accessible and integrated as electrical or mechanical CAD,” says Kuehr. “We’re bridging design and manufacturing through intelligent agents—so hardware teams can move faster from idea to physical product.”
For 3D printing, part of opdo’s approach lies in its support for the volumetric 3D printing method xolography, helping produce optical elements directly inside liquid resin using controlled light exposure.
The technique can achieve surface tolerances of 5 µm and high optical transparency, working with materials such as xoloClear and xoloOne, as well as experimental elastomers and hydrogels. With plans to connect opdo’s AI-driven designs directly to xolography-based fabrication, the workflow for rapid prototyping and custom optics is set to become even more streamlined.
Streamlining optical design through AI
One of the core strengths of opdo’s platform is its ability to understand natural language. Engineers can describe what they need in plain terms, and the platform’s AI agents manage everything from generating the initial design to simulating and optimizing it.
The platform then prepares outputs that can go straight to manufacturing, all while integrating directly with CAD tools. This level of integration allows optics, mechanics, and electronics to be developed together, supporting a more cohesive engineering process.
opdo’s suite of tools is extensive, including the ability to generate entire systems based on prompts, raytracing in classical, polarization, and multi-sequential modes, and wave optical propagation.
It also supports aspheres and freeform optics, provides access to catalog lenses and modular assemblies, and offers tools for tolerance and sensitivity analysis. Manufacturability validation and business case estimation are also part of the platform, making it easier for engineers to balance performance, practicality, and cost before moving forward with production.
On the applications front, the platform is designed to support everything from imaging and display systems in consumer and industrial cameras, AR/VR and XR headsets, and medical imaging devices, to head-up displays in automotive and aerospace settings. In laser and photonic systems, it can be used for optical communication, laser-based material processing, medical lasers, and generative manufacturing.
The platform’s capabilities also extend to precision measurement and sensing, such as 3D sensing, spectroscopy, interferometry, and environmental or process sensors. Beyond these uses, opdo is looking at how its platform can support more specialized applications, including LiDAR, space optics, quantum and integrated photonics, and biophotonics.
As part of its rollout, opdo is offering early access and inviting select engineering teams to join and see how the platform can fit into their own workflows.
3D printing optics in practice
Away from opdo, researchers are applying 3D printing methods to develop new types of optical systems.
Researchers from the 4th Physics Institute at the University of Stuttgart demonstrated the successful use of 3D printed micro-optics in high-power laser systems. Having leveraged two-photon polymerization 2(PP) 3D printing, they fabricated microscale lenses directly onto optical fibers, enabling the compact integration of fibers and laser crystals within a single oscillator.
The resulting hybrid fiber-crystal laser produced stable output exceeding 20 mW at 1063.4 nm, peaking at 37 mW, while the printed optics showed no damage or deterioration during extended operation. For this study, the team relied on a Nanoscribe 3D printer and was exploring larger fibers and advanced lens designs to enhance performance at the time of reporting.
In 2021, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) researchers developed a novel SLA-based 3D printing method for photonic crystal fibers (PCFs), a specialized optical fiber featuring internal channels that enhance light guidance. Using a custom 3D printer, the team fabricated PCFs with complex cross-sectional geometries previously impossible with conventional methods.
Co-authored by Andrea Bertoncini and Carlo Liberale, the technique involved printing directly onto the fiber layers themselves, bypassing the need for scaled-up versions and overcoming traditional limitations caused by gravity and surface tension. This approach also allowed for multiple cross-sectional areas along a single fiber, enabling functions such as polarization control and beam focusing.
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Featured image shows opdo AI copilot for optical system design. Image via opdo.
