Method for providing self-assembly of extended field of view receiver for lidar system

Abstract

The method comprises: fabricating a plurality of subunits (402) on a planar substrate, wherein each subunit (402) comprises: an optical sensing structure configured to receive at least a portion of an optical wavefront impinging on one or more of the subunits (402), and a material forming at least a portion of a hinge (408) near a boundary with at least one adjacent subunit (402); removing at least a portion of the substrate at respective boundaries between each of at least three different pairs of subunits (402) to enable relative movement between the subunits (402) in each pair, the subunits in each pair being constrained by one of the hinges (408) formed by the material; and providing one or more actuators configured to apply a force to fold the connected network of the plurality of subunits (402) into a non-planar configuration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to providing a self-assembling extended field of view receiver for a laser radar (LiDAR) system. Background Art

[0002] Various types of lidar systems use various types of optical elements to receive light across a desired field of view (FOV). In some systems, focal plane arrays are used in an imaging configuration, where different portions of the FOV are imaged on different corresponding elements of the array. In some systems, elements may be manufactured on convex substrates, but some manufacturing processes, such as those requiring manual assembly, can add prohibitive cost and complexity to the assembly process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally, in one aspect, a method includes: manufacturing a plurality of subunits on a planar substrate, wherein each subunit includes: an optical sensing structure and a material configured to receive at least a portion of an optical wavefront impinging on one or more of the subunits, the material forming at least a portion of a hinge near a boundary with at least one adjacent subunit; removing at least a portion of the substrate at respective boundaries between each of at least three different pairs of subunits to enable relative movement between the subunits in each pair of subunits, the subunits in each pair of subunits being constrained by one of the hinges formed by the material; and providing one or more actuators configured to apply a force to fold a connected network of the plurality of subunits into a non-planar configuration.

[0004] Aspects may include one or more of the following features:

[0005] One or more of the actuators are configured to apply a magnetic force.

[0006] One or more of the actuators configured to apply a magnetic force include a ferromagnetic material.

[0007] One or more of the actuators configured to apply a magnetic force include a planar coil formed on a surface of the subunit.

[0008] Removing includes removing at least a portion of the matrix at a boundary between each of the different at least eleven pairs of subunits.

[0009] The method further includes fabricating at least one layer comprising a conductive material on the planar substrate to provide electrical communication between at least one pair of adjacent subunits.

[0010] The method further includes fabricating at least one layer comprising an optical waveguide on the planar substrate to provide optical communication between at least one pair of adjacent subunits.

[0011] The method further includes attaching the subunits to each other after the actuator folds the connected network of the plurality of subunits into the non-planar configuration.

[0012] The method further includes disposing a polyhedral support proximate at least one of the subunits to constrain movement of the at least one of the plurality of subunits and to at least partially determine the geometry of the non-planar configuration.

[0013] The polyhedral support has a remanent magnetization and interacts with the subunits via the magnetic field of the polyhedral support.

[0014] The method further includes attaching the subunit to a support.

[0015] In general, in another aspect, a fabricated object comprises: a plurality of subunits fabricated on a planar substrate, wherein each subunit comprises: an optical sensing structure and a material configured to receive at least a portion of an optical wavefront impinging on one or more of the subunits, the material forming at least a portion of a hinge near a boundary having at least one adjacent subunit; at least one gap along a respective boundary between each of at least three different pairs of subunits to enable relative movement between the subunits in each pair of subunits, the subunits in each pair of subunits being constrained by one of the hinges formed by the material; and one or more actuators configured to apply a force to fold the connected network of the plurality of subunits into a non-planar configuration.

[0016] Aspects may include one or more of the following features:

[0017] The device further includes at least one transmitting module configured to provide an illumination light wave that illuminates at least a portion of the field of view.

[0018] The device further includes circuitry configured to determine distances associated with one or more portions of the field of view based on the output of the optical sensing structure.

[0019] The non-planar configuration is designed to combine the fields of view of the optical sensing structures into a continuous composite field of view.

[0020] At least one optical waveguide connecting the subunits is used to provide a time, frequency or phase reference to enable distance to be determined.

[0021] At least one electrical conductor connecting the subunits is used to provide a time, frequency or phase reference to enable distance to be determined.

[0022] Aspects may have one or more of the following advantages:

[0023] One advantage is the ease of assembly, which enables the use of a larger number of individual sensors, resulting in a finer division of the field of view. As long as there are no blind spots between the individual FOVs, sufficiently dense spatial sampling can reduce or eliminate the need for mechanical scanning. Conversely, for a given limited field of view of each individual sensor, greater coverage can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] To supplement the description made and to facilitate a better understanding of the characteristics of the invention, a set of drawings, which are an integral part of said description and have an illustrative and non-limiting character, are attached, according to a preferred example of a practical embodiment of the invention, in which:

[0025] Figure 1A and Figure 1B The assembled view and the flat unfolded view of the dodecahedron-shaped sensor are shown respectively.

[0026] Figure 2A and Figure 2B A schematic diagram of an example hinge assembly is shown.

[0027] Figure 3A and Figure 3B An assembled view and a flat unfolded view of a truncated icosahedron-shaped sensor are shown, respectively.

[0028] Figure 4 Schematic diagram showing the dodecahedron-shaped sensor and magnetic assembly.

[0029] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A plan view of an example magnetic field pattern is shown.

[0030] Figure 6 Examples of various effects are shown, along with a graph of the corresponding areas of maximum displacement and maximum force.

[0031] Figure 7 Schematic diagram of an example hemispherical shell with a lenslet array for focusing or FOV adjustment is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Embodiments of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) systems may include self-assembling sensors that provide extended angular coverage. For example, such self-assembling sensors may be implemented by combining the individual fields of view of multiple individual subunits to form a composite field of view, wherein the subunits are assembled into a designed three-dimensional (3D) structure formed from a single planar substrate.

[0033] Self-assembly refers to any of a variety of features that can be included in or imparted to subunits to enable or facilitate relative movement of the subunits so that the subunits transition from an initial state (e.g., an initial planar state) to an assembled state, such as a designed 3D structure in which a sensor is to be used, as described in more detail below.

[0034] Figure 1A An example dodecahedron-shaped sensor (100) is shown in an assembled state. The entire sensor has a large composite field of view. Each subunit (e.g., subunit i and subunit j) has a smaller individual field of view (e.g., FOVi and FOVj), each of which is centered on the axis in a different direction. Mechanical hinges (102) are also present between some of the subunits to enable self-assembly. Figure 1B The sensor (100) is shown in its unfolded, planar state, and the location of one of the mechanical hinges (102) between two of the subunits is shown.

[0035] The subunit structure can be assembled on a support (e.g., a rigid hollow support or a polyhedral support), for example, by bending the planar sensor design on the support. This planar sensor design of preassembled subunits can be in the form of an arrangement of subunits connected to each other. This arrangement can be manufactured using planar technology, in which each subunit is formed on a different part of a substrate, which is provided as a wafer made of a base material. Such a wafer can be made, for example, of glass, quartz, sapphire, or of a semiconductor material (e.g., silicon, indium phosphide, gallium arsenide, etc.).

[0036] Each subunit in the arrangement can be configured to function as a separate sensor element capable of performing lidar imaging within its individual field of view. To this end, different technologies can be employed, such as time-of-flight lidar, frequency-modulated continuous-wave lidar, dual-wavelength lidar, etc. The subunits can be configured to use focal plane arrays, aperture plane arrays, or can be configured to include MEMS-based mechanical scanning technology.

[0037] In some embodiments of the manufacturing process, a step is introduced at a given point in the process to create a mechanical connection between the subunits. This connection is configured to enable the subunits to move angularly relative to each other while maintaining a substantially constant distance between the connections, effectively creating a hinge between the two subunits. This hinge can be made of a material that is sufficiently elastic / plastic and configured to enable this movement.

[0038] Alternatively, the hinge can be made of a substantially rigid material, but the hinge is constructed with discontinuities between the components so that the components can move relative to each other, and the geometry of the components restricts the movement to provide the desired hinge function. To make such a hinge, layers made of flexible materials can be used, including polymer layers, inorganic dielectric layers, semiconductor layers, or metal layers. Thus, these layers can be patterned using photolithography, electron beam lithography, ion beam milling, or other methods.

[0039] exist Figure 2A In the particular embodiment of the hinge assembly shown, a continuous strip of polymer connects two subunits (subunit i and subunit j) at two points via two cantilevers (202A, 202B) that clamp at two different locations in the two subunits. The rigidity of the subunits ensures that the cantilevers can only deform out of plane and provide the desired hinge function. The assembly also enables optical and / or electrical connections to be made between adjacent subunits at one or more locations, as shown by an optical / electrical bus coupler (204) that is connected to an optical / electrical bus (206) near the hinge.

[0040] exist Figure 2B In another specific embodiment of the hinge assembly shown in , a thin silicon layer is patterned to create multiple beams (210A, 210B, 210C, 210D) that act as torsion hinges between two subunits (subunit i and subunit j). The configuration of multiple torsion hinges along a common axis ensures that rotation is substantially constrained to about that one axis.

[0041] At a given point in the manufacturing process, the following steps are included: providing electrical and / or optical connections between the subunits to create couplers (204) and buses (206). Such connections will provide a time basis for synchronization of the lidar receiver and transmitter in each subunit to enable the desired ranging function. Such synchronization can be achieved through a phase, frequency, or time reference in the optical or electrical signals.

[0042] For example, the edge of the pulse can be used to determine the start of a ranging cycle and a reference for measuring distance in a time-of-flight setup. Alternatively, the frequency of light in the waveguide can be used as a reference for calculating distance in a frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) scheme. In an alternative embodiment, the phase can be used as a reference for calculating distance in a phase shift keying (PSK) encoding scheme. In addition, such electrical and / or optical connections can be used to transmit imaging information and ranging information from each subunit, or to power the individual subunits.

[0043] The electrical connection can be provided by depositing one or more metal or conductive layers on the body substrate and patterning the one or more metal or conductive layers into a single conductor, the single conductor forming part of the coupler (204) and the bus (206). Suitable materials include aluminum, gold, chromium, titanium, platinum, copper, or indium tin oxide. Deposition of these layers can be accomplished using sputtering, evaporation, or electroplating. Patterning of the layers can be accomplished using photolithography, electron beam lithography, ion beam milling, or other methods.

[0044] The optical connection can be provided by depositing one or more transparent materials on a bulk substrate (e.g., a dielectric and a semiconductor) and patterning the one or more transparent materials to define a waveguide that forms part of the coupler (204) and the bus (206). Commonly used materials include silicon oxide, silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon, gallium arsenide, indium phosphide, siloxane polymers, halogenated acrylate polymers, fluorinated acrylate polymers, and other polymers. The formation of these layers can be accomplished using epitaxial growth, doping, evaporation, chemical vapor deposition, sputtering, or other methods. The patterning of the layers can be accomplished using photolithography, electron beam lithography, ion beam milling, or other methods.

[0045] Given the mechanical movements that occur during assembly, there will be pressures and stresses that can be carefully managed to avoid fracture of the electrical conductors and / or optical waveguides. In particular, it may be advisable to introduce serpentine bends and other spring-like structures that can absorb deformation at low stress levels. Stress concentration points, such as those caused by geometric transitions or abrupt transitions between two regions with different material properties, can be avoided. Additionally, long independent segments (220) can be formed along the axis of rotation of the hinge to distribute the torsional stresses (again, see Figure 2A ).

[0046] At another point in the manufacturing process, steps are taken to separate (or separate) these subunits from the body of the substrate and separate (or separate) from each other. To this end, different techniques can be used, including DRIE, RIE, wet etching, laser cutting, dicing and other methods. In some embodiments, this separation is selective to the body of the substrate and makes the interconnection between the subunits functional. The method for achieving this is to have a protective layer between the removed substrate and the different functional layers. Another method is to use a process that is only selective to the body of the substrate. Another method is to use a timed process so that the process stops before the functional layer begins to be affected.

[0047] For example, a planar sensor design separated from the body of the substrate may correspond to a polygonal network of a polyhedron. In some embodiments, the network will have faces that define the subunits and edges that form connection points between the subunits. These edges will enable movement between the different subunits so that the structure can be assembled in three dimensions. As described above, this relative rotation of two adjacent subunits about the edges may be enabled using mechanical hinges or linkages, or by using flexible or plastic connections between the subunits. In some embodiments, the subunits are electrically and / or optically connected through the hinges. As described above, this may be achieved using waveguides and / or metal buses that are configured to pass through the units.

[0048] One or more of the subunits may include additional optoelectronic instruments, or may be physically connected to additional optoelectronic instruments, which may extend into a portion of the matrix of a given subunit, which may serve as the base of a given subunit, or may be attached to a suitably shaped material forming the base of a given subunit. These subunits may contain additional electronic devices to amplify, digitize, serialize and / or otherwise multiplex the signals from the various sensing subunits. These components may be attached to the base to form extended subunits and may have optical interfaces to optical fibers, light sources and / or external detectors to enable the various subunits to have lidar scanning functionality. Alternatively, these components may be integrally included in the base and / or included through a hybrid integration of components.

[0049] The polyhedron can be one of the Platonic solids, i.e., a tetrahedron, a cube, an octahedron, a regular dodecahedron, or a regular icosahedron. The advantage of a regular polyhedron is that all dihedral angles between subunits are equal, providing evenly spaced divisions of the polyhedral angles around the sensor. Irregular polyhedrons can also be used, such as a truncated icosahedron (or a pentagonal dodecahedron), as shown in the assembled and unfolded states. Figure 3A and Figure 3B As shown in .

[0050] As the number of facets increases, a spherical shape can be achieved, and the dihedral angles between the facets become more planar, the division of the polyhedral angles into the desired composite field of view becomes finer, meaning each subunit only needs to scan a smaller polyhedral angle. Geodesic polyhedra, near-spherical UVs, Goldberg polyhedra, or any other tessellation of a sphere with a sufficient polygon count can be used. These tessellations can be expanded into a planar network and collapsed into the final desired 3D shape.

[0051] The tessellation can also correspond to a non-spherical shape or a shape that is only partially spherical. For example, the tessellation can correspond to an ellipsoid, a cylinder, a cone, or a portion of these shapes. The choice of shape will depend on the desired distribution of sub-elements and the composite field of view that the system is trying to reproduce.

[0052] Additionally, the device can include an actuation mechanism that pushes two adjacent subunits into an angle relative to each other. As described above, these actuation mechanisms can limit mechanical rotation and mechanically connect the subunits alone, or can be supplemented by other mechanical elements. In an embodiment, a layer with an engineered stress level will be used to create an out-of-plane spring that is in equilibrium at or beyond the target angle at which each subunit is connected. During or at the end of the manufacturing process, upon release of the device, the springs will bring the subunits to their final positions, which may be guided by contact with a support.

[0053] In some embodiments, the actuation mechanism can be based on a beam made of two materials that exhibits bending momentum when heated, which causes rotation about a hinge. The two materials in the layer can be selected so that the difference in expansion coefficients over a selected temperature range results in a net curvature in the layer. The actuator force can be designed to offset the stiffness and device mass of any potential mechanical hinge or to provide support at the target location.

[0054] The device mass can be reduced by etching away parts of the bulk matrix without affecting the optically functional layers of each of the subunits. In particular, the bulk matrix can be completely removed except at the boundaries defining the different subunits.

[0055] In some embodiments, the actuation mechanism relies on a change in phase or state of a material. Such a change in phase can be caused by a change in temperature or irradiation, for example, a change in the shape and / or volume of the material can result in a mechanical actuation effect. These actuators include paraffin-based actuators, shape memory alloys, photoinduced phase transition polymers (e.g., polydiacetylene, as described in Ikehara et al., Sensors and Actuators A: Physics, Vol. 96, No. 2-3, February 28, 2002, pp. 239-243, incorporated herein by reference), or hydrogel-based devices. An advantage of these devices is that they can generate high forces, which may reduce the need for mass reduction and substrate etching.

[0056] Other actuation techniques (including MEMS-based techniques) can be used, such as depositing ferromagnetic materials (e.g., nickel, cobalt, iron, etc.) on a substrate and patterning the ferromagnetic material. This can be accomplished by sputtering, evaporation, electroplating, or a combination of these methods. The deposited layer is assumed to be not a permanent magnet. In this case, a permanent magnet in the support can be used to generate a force that causes the structure to self-assemble. Alternatively, an external magnetic field generated by an electromagnet or a permanent magnet can be applied to generate the desired force. Without being bound by theory, examples of equations that can be used to calculate various parameters include the following. The force on the ferromagnetic particles can be determined as:

[0057]

[0058] where V is the volume, χ is the magnetic susceptibility of the particle, and and The spherical magnetic field of a permanent magnet is defined by the magnetic field of the magnetic dipole outside the volume of the permanent magnet:

[0059]

[0060] in is the magnetic dipole moment. The spherical permanent magnet has a dipole moment of

[0061]

[0062] Figure 4 An example of a dodecahedron-shaped sensor assembly (400) in an unfolded state is shown, the sensor assembly comprising a subunit (402) including a circular portion coated with a ferromagnetic material (404), a flexible foil material (406) on a surface of the subunit, and a hinge region (408) formed between adjacent subunits. A neodymium ball magnet (410) is disposed on one of the subunits. Figure 5A and Figure 5BAn exemplary magnetic field and corresponding force are shown for an assembly having a dipole moment of a magnetic permanent magnet with a diameter of 3 mm (e.g., spherical magnet (410)), and an exemplary magnetic field and corresponding force for an assembly having a 0.5 μm coating of ferromagnetic material (e.g., material (404) with a magnetic susceptibility of χ = 20) on a circular subunit with a diameter of 1.8 mm. Figure 5A The magnetic field pattern is produced by a dipole pointing in the horizontal direction, with strength shown on a logarithmic scale, and with superimposed magnetic field lines. Figure 5B The force pattern is caused by the net force exerted on a thin layer of 0.5 μm thickness and 0.92 mm radius by a spherical permanent magnet with strength shown on a logarithmic scale and with superimposed magnetic field lines.

[0063] Alternatively, an external magnetic field can be applied and modulated in amplitude and direction to control the assembly operation. Ferromagnetic material can be grown in an external magnetic field to induce permanent magnetization in the volume of the ferromagnetic material and support the assembly. As an alternative to ferromagnetic material, the microcoils can be confined to a substrate so that the microcoils can withstand Lorentz forces and torques. Therefore, an external magnetic field can be used to generate the desired force on the subunit to induce self-assembly. Each microcoil can be actuated independently or all microcoils can be actuated simultaneously. The force may be generated by the following interactions: interaction with an external magnetic field from a permanent magnet or electromagnet, or a magnetic field generated by another microcoil on the same substrate, or interaction with ferromagnetic material that may be embedded in the substrate or in a support.

[0064] Other options (such as electrostatic actuation, piezoelectric layers, etc.) can be used to produce the same effect. Figure 6 Examples of various effects that can be used to provide force for self-assembly are shown, along with the corresponding areas of maximum displacement versus maximum force (each axis plotted on a logarithmic scale), based on a similar figure appearing in DJ Bell et al., J. Michromech. Microeng. 15S153, 2005, which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0065] The structure can be designed to include contact points between the subunits so that the structure locks into place during the actuation process. In this case, a support body may not be required. This locking can be achieved solely through mechanical structures, or can include the use of gluing, welding or bonding steps.

[0066] Each of these subunits can be coupled to a receiving module that collects light from the field of view corresponding to the subunit. The receiving module can include a component configured to distinguish the angular direction of the light received within the field of view. This can be achieved by an imaging sensor in the focal plane of the telescope lens. For example, this can also be achieved by a phased array, by a single beam from a single waveguide coupled to the lens and the MEMS scanner, or by an aperture array with independent heterodynes mixed with a local oscillator, as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62 / 839,114 filed on April 26, 2019, which is incorporated herein by reference. The lidar system can also include one or more transmitting modules. These one or more transmitting modules can be coupled to the subunits (e.g., in a structure shared with the receiving module) or can be independent of the subunits.

[0067] In the case of a subunit based on a sensor designed as a focal plane array, a lens can be used. Such a lens can be produced with a focal plane array having a focal plane array from the outer surface (e.g. Figure 7 The lens array (700) shown in FIG. 1 is a shell-like segment of a lenslet with a single lenslet protruding from (or as an inclusion within) the inner surface. The shape (spherical or non-spherical) and lenslet distribution of the structure will reflect the design of the internal sensor. The self-assembled focal plane sensor can be mechanically assembled and aligned with the focusing structure. The lens can also be used to adjust the field of view of the aperture plane array design, as described in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2017 / 0350965A1, which is incorporated herein by reference. Such shapes can be produced using high-precision 3D printing, molding, machining, or by any other suitable technology.

[0068] One or more transmitting modules will partially or completely illuminate the composite field of view. In particular, a single transmitting module is possible. Each transmitting module can include a diffuser or focusing lens to direct light into a given multifaceted angle. Each transmitting module can also include a beam steering element that enables the system to direct light in a specific direction. For example, this beam steering element can be based on mechanical actuation or a phased array.

[0069] One or more transmitter modules can be coordinated with multiple receiver modules in different subunits through electronic circuitry. One or more transmitter modules can share physical space and focusing optics with the receiver modules, or one or more transmitter modules and the transmitter modules can be separate. The overlap between the illumination from the one or more transmitter modules and the angularly resolved information from the receiver modules creates the ability to scan the sensor's environment in three dimensions.

[0070] Some of the technical problems addressed by the techniques described here include: creating a lidar system with a large field of view (FOV) that can be extended to provide full spherical coverage. Many previous lidar systems have significantly fallen short of achieving full spherical coverage. Lidar systems with large angular coverage can also be relatively expensive and bulky for many applications.

[0071] The described technical approach solves a potential problem by enabling the cost-effective manufacture of lidar systems with a wide composite field of view. This is achieved in part by the self-assembly features disclosed herein associated with the overall manufacture of multiple lidar sensor subsystems for each combination of viewing directions.

[0072] Some systems extend the field of view by rotating the sensor arrangement. Alternatively, a single assembly of multiple independent sensors on a single body can be used. These systems may require significantly more assembly effort, additional components, and / or may result in a heavier and more expensive device.

[0073] One potential advantage of the technology described here is the ease of assembly, which enables the use of a larger number of individual sensors, resulting in finer divisions of the field of view. Sampling the space at a sufficiently high density can reduce or eliminate the need for mechanical scanning, as long as there are no blind spots between the individual FOVs. Conversely, for a given limited field of view of each individual sensor, greater coverage can be achieved.

[0074] When the device is manufactured on a substrate (such as a wafer), the polyhedral network may not have a fill factor of 100%. This may result in a slight increase in the manufacturing cost of the sensor.

[0075] Typically, once the rest of the device is fabricated, additional process steps may be required to form connections between and separate the subunits. This can increase manufacturing costs. However, since this can be done in batches, it may have a minor impact on the overall device cost, which is largely offset by reduced assembly time, materials, and process complexity.

[0076] While the present disclosure has been described in conjunction with certain embodiments, it should be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the scope of the appended claims, which scope should be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and equivalent structures as is permitted by law.

Claims

1. A method for providing a self-assembling extended field of view receiver for a lidar system, the method comprising the following steps: A plurality of subunits (402) are manufactured on a planar substrate, wherein each subunit (402) comprises: an optical sensing structure configured to receive at least a portion of an optical wavefront impinging on one or more of the subunits (402), and a material forming at least a portion of a hinge (408) near a boundary with at least one adjacent subunit (402); removing at least a portion of the base at respective boundaries between each of at least three pairs of subunits (402) to enable relative movement between the subunits (402) in each pair, the subunits in each pair being constrained by one of the hinges (408) formed of the material; and providing one or more actuators configured to apply an external magnetic field, To fold the connection network of the plurality of subunits (402) into a non-planar configuration.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein One or more of the actuators are configured to apply a magnetic force.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: One or more of the actuators configured to apply a magnetic force includes a ferromagnetic material (404).

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: One or more of the actuators configured to apply a magnetic force include a planar coil formed on a surface of the subunit (402).

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein The removing includes removing at least a portion of the matrix at a boundary between each of the different at least eleven pairs of subunits (402).

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising fabricating at least one layer comprising a conductive material on the planar substrate to provide electrical communication between at least one pair of adjacent subunits (402).

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising fabricating at least one layer comprising an optical waveguide on the planar substrate to provide optical communication between at least one pair of adjacent subunits (402).

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising attaching the subunits (402) to each other after the actuator folds the connection network of the plurality of subunits (402) into the non-planar configuration.

9. The method according to claim 1 further includes arranging a polyhedral support body near at least one of the subunits (402) to limit the movement of at least one of the multiple subunits (402) and at least partially determine the geometry of the non-planar configuration.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein: The polyhedral support has a remanent magnetization and interacts with the subunit (402) through the magnetic field of the polyhedral support.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising attaching the subunit (402) to the support.

12. A device for providing a self-assembling extended field of view receiver for a lidar system, the device comprising: A plurality of subunits (402) are manufactured on a planar substrate, wherein each subunit (402) comprises: an optical sensing structure configured to receive at least a portion of an optical wavefront impinging on one or more of the subunits (402), and a material forming at least a portion of a hinge (408) near a boundary with at least one adjacent subunit (402); at least one gap along a respective boundary between each of at least three different pairs of subunits (402) to enable relative movement between the subunits (402) in each pair, the subunits in each pair being constrained by one of the hinges (408) formed from the material; and one or more actuators configured to apply an external magnetic field to fold the connected network of the plurality of subunits (402) into a non-planar configuration; wherein at least one of the plurality of subunits (402) comprises a material configured to apply a force in response to the external magnetic field, wherein the applied force causes self-assembly of the plurality of subunits (402).

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising at least one transmitting module configured to provide an illumination light wave that illuminates at least a portion of the field of view.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising circuitry configured to determine distances associated with one or more portions of the field of view based on an output of the optical sensing structure.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein The non-planar configuration is designed to combine the fields of view of the optical sensing structure into a continuous composite field of view.

16. The device according to claim 14, wherein At least one optical waveguide connecting the subunits (402) is used to provide a time, frequency or phase reference to enable distance to be determined.

17. The device according to claim 14, wherein At least one electrical conductor connecting the subunits (402) is used to provide a time, frequency or phase reference to enable distance to be determined.

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