We demonstrated the range imaging with high resolution of 256×256 pixels and high frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps) using a short wavelength infrared pulsed time-of-flight laser sensor, which is suitable for long range imaging. We additionally demonstrated the long range imaging of more than 1 km and wide field of view imaging of 12 deg× 4 deg, 768×256 pixels, and 10 fps. For these demonstrations, we developed the linear array devices of the aluminum indium arsenide avalanche photodiode array and silicon germanium bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor read-out integrated circuit array. We also deployed the flattop beam illumination optics with the beam division and recombination method and realized efficient line shape illumination.
KEYWORDS: Receivers, Signal detection, Sensors, Avalanche photodetectors, Imaging systems, Signal processing, 3D image processing, Pulsed laser operation, Stereoscopy, Signal to noise ratio
3D laser sensor is a real-time remote sensor which offers 3D images of scenes. In this paper, we demonstrate a new
concept of the pulsed 3D laser sensor with 2D scanning of a transmitting beam and a scan-less receiver. The system
achieves the fast and long-range 3D imaging with a relatively simple system configuration. We newly developed a highaspect
APD array, a receiver IC, and a range and intensity detector. By combining these devices, we realized a 160 ×
120 pixels range imaging with an on-line frame rate of 8 Hz at a distance of about 50 m.
In the previous study, we have demonstrated the first development result of the 3D imaging LADAR (LAser Detection
And Ranging) which can obtain the 3D data using linear array receiver. The system consists of in-house-made key
components. The linear array receiver consists of the previously reported APD (Avalanche Photo Diode) array, the ROIC
(Read Out Integrated Circuit) array assembled in one package, and the transmitting optics using pupil divide method
which realizes a uniform illumination on a target. In this paper, we report the advanced 3D imaging LADAR with
improved ROIC. The ROIC has the function to set the optimum threshold for pulse peak detection in each element and
switch the measurement range width on a case by case basis. Moreover, the response of MUX in ROIC is improved.
Installing this ROIC, we realized 256× 256 pixels range imaging with an on-line frame rate of more than 30 Hz. Then,
we tried online object detection with the obtained 3D image using a simple detection algorithm. We demonstrated system
has the potential to detect the object even in the scene with some clutters.
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