Schematic of an adaptive optics (AO) retinal imaging system. A beam of light is shone into the eye, and a small amounts reflected back out of the eye and into the optical system. Reflected light is split between a wave front sensor, which measures the aberrations, and the image capturing device. Information about the aberrations of the wave front, as measured by the wave front sensor, is processed by a control system. The control systems end a signal to an active optical component, causing a shape change, which minimizes the wave front aberration.