Lidar Apparatus Rotating Body Light Guide Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional lidar apparatuses are large, expensive, and consume high power due to the need for wide beam laser modules and panoramic scanning, which also pose safety risks, especially when used in vehicles.
Innovation Solution
A lidar apparatus and system that enables 360-degree omnidirectional detection without rotating optical fibers, using a laser generating source, a rotating body with laser transmitting and receiving modules, and a light guide unit to transmit the laser from a fixed fixture to the rotating body, allowing for improved detection performance and safety while reducing system size and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the entire apparatus including transmitting and receiving optical systems is rotated for panoramic scanning, then omnidirectional detection capability is improved, but system size and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the rotating body into separate functional modules: a transmitting optical system with laser source and transmitting lens, and a receiving optical system with receiving lens and detector. These segmented modules can rotate independently or be positioned at different locations on the rotating body, allowing omnidirectional scanning without requiring the entire apparatus to rotate, thus reducing system size and power consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent positions the transmitting and receiving optical systems at different spatial locations on the rotating body, utilizing three-dimensional spatial arrangement. This allows the systems to perform panoramic scanning by rotating around a central axis while maintaining compact overall dimensions, as the optical paths are arranged in different spatial dimensions rather than requiring linear extension.
2Area of stationary object
If a laser module with wide beam width is used to cover all directions simultaneously, then detection coverage is improved, but laser output power requirements and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using a wide beam to cover all directions simultaneously, the patent employs periodic scanning where the laser beam sweeps through different angular positions as the rotating body turns. The transmitting optical system emits laser pulses at different angles during rotation, covering the entire 360-degree area over time rather than all at once, reducing the required beam width and laser power at any given moment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous detection coverage by ensuring that the rotating body with transmitting and receiving optical systems operates continuously, sweeping the laser beam across the entire field of view without interruption. This continuous periodic scanning ensures that all directions are covered over time while using a narrow-beam, low-power laser source rather than requiring high power for simultaneous omnidirectional coverage.
3Ease of operation
If optical fibers are rotated with the rotating body for laser transmission, then laser delivery to rotating components is achieved, but fiber twisting and reliability issues occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a light guide unit as an intermediary component positioned at the center of rotation. The optical fiber remains stationary and connected to the light guide unit, which then transmits the laser to the rotating body through a rotationally symmetric coupling mechanism. This intermediary allows laser delivery to rotating components without the optical fiber itself rotating, preventing fiber twisting and maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical rotation of optical fibers with a stationary light guide unit that uses optical principles (total internal reflection or rotationally symmetric coupling) to transfer laser energy to the rotating body. This substitution eliminates the mechanical stress and twisting that would occur if optical fibers were physically rotated, thereby maintaining fiber reliability while achieving laser delivery to rotating components.
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
Enables efficient 360-degree scanning with reduced system size and power consumption, enhanced detection capabilities, and improved safety by eliminating the need for rotating optical fibers, thus addressing the size, cost, and safety concerns of conventional systems.
Implementation Method 1
a light guide unit disposed on the rotation axis to transmit a laser generated by the laser generating source from the fixture to the rotating body
Implementation Method 2
the laser transmitting module may include a reflective mirror for converting a vertical laser transmitted in a vertical direction along the rotation axis into a horizontal laser
Data Source
AI summary
A lidar apparatus is disclosed. The lidar apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclose includes a laser generating source for generating a laser; a fixture fixedly disposed on an installation object; a rotating body disposed to rotate about a rotation axis with respect to the fixture, and provided with a laser transmitting module for transmitting a laser generated by the laser generating source to the outside and a laser receiving module for receiving a laser reflected from an external object; and a light guide unit disposed on the rotation axis to transmit a laser generated by the laser generating source from the fixture to the rotating body.