Flash LADAR Sensor Eliminates Mechanical Scanners
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional 3-D imaging technologies require mechanical scanners, which are costly, high maintenance, and bulky, limiting their use in lightweight and cost-effective applications such as terrain mapping and underwater exploration.
Innovation Solution
A flash LADAR sensor system with a focal plane array and a pulsed laser that eliminates the need for mechanical scanners by using stationary optics and a 2×N or M×N array to capture 3-D data, enabling efficient terrain mapping and underwater mapping without mechanical parts, and can operate through smoke, fog, or gas clouds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If mechanical scanners are used in conventional 3-D imaging systems, then the system can capture 3-D data, but the system becomes costly, high maintenance, and bulky
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mechanical scanner component entirely from the system. Instead of using a mechanical scanner to sequentially illuminate different parts of the scene, the invention uses a flash LADAR sensor with a focal plane array that captures the entire field of view simultaneously with a single laser pulse, extracting the 3-D data capture function from mechanical moving parts
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical scanning system with an optical/electronic system. A flash LADAR sensor uses a pulsed laser source and a focal plane array with stationary optics to capture 3-D data without any mechanical movement. The time-of-flight measurement for each pixel provides depth information, substituting mechanical scanning with parallel optical detection
2Measurement precision
If mechanical scanners are used in conventional 3-D imaging systems, then the system can capture 3-D data, but the weight and volume increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the heavy mechanical scanner assembly from the system. The flash LADAR sensor uses stationary optics and a focal plane array that can be made lightweight, eliminating the need for heavy motors, bearings, and control mechanisms required for mechanical scanning
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses periodic pulsed laser illumination instead of continuous mechanical scanning. The flash LADAR sensor emits short laser pulses and measures the time-of-flight of reflected light, capturing 3-D data through temporal modulation rather than mechanical movement, significantly reducing system weight
3Measurement precision
If mechanical scanners are used in conventional 3-D imaging systems, then the system can capture 3-D data, but the maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the mechanical scanner that requires maintenance. The flash LADAR sensor has no moving parts, eliminating wear, friction, and alignment issues associated with mechanical scanners. The stationary optics and focal plane array have no maintenance requirements
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a maintenance-free system where the flash LADAR sensor performs 3-D data capture without requiring external maintenance. The solid-state components and stationary optics are inherently reliable, with no parts that wear out or require adjustment, making the system self-sufficient
4Productivity
If a single pulse of light is used in flash LADAR, then the data rate increases, but the field of view coverage must be achieved without mechanical scanning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the field of view into multiple discrete pixels in the focal plane array. Each pixel independently measures the time-of-flight of the laser pulse for its specific angular direction. This segmentation allows parallel measurement across the entire field of view, achieving high data rates without mechanical scanning
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the temporal dimension to the spatial detection. By measuring the time-of-flight of the laser pulse for each pixel, the system converts 2-D spatial information into 3-D spatial information. This temporal measurement approach allows the entire field of view to be captured simultaneously in a single pulse, dramatically increasing the data rate
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system provides high data rate, mechanical simplicity, low weight, and low volume, enabling continuous 3-D mapping and bathymetry with increased resolution and accuracy, suitable for applications like salvage operations and navigation.
Implementation Method 1
the reflected light is focused by a lens on the focal plane of the LADAR sensor
Implementation Method 2
the time of flight of the laser pulse to the object of interest can be calculated
Implementation Method 3
flash 3-D imaging in analogy with ordinary digital 2-D cameras using flash attachments
Data Source
AI summary
A lightweight, low volume, high performance LADAR sensor incorporating 3-D focal plane arrays is adapted specifically for terrain mapping. The present invention generates, at high speed, 3-D topographical, water surface, floating object, bathymetric, biological gas cloud, poison gas cloud, or smoke stack emission mapping data. The 3-D focal planes are used in a variety of physical configurations which provide advantages over prior art terrain mapping LADAR sensors.