Lidar Scan Pattern with Locally Retraced Lines for High-Resolution Mapping
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current lidar systems face challenges in efficiently scanning and mapping environments with high resolution and accuracy, particularly in achieving precise distance measurements and comprehensive field of regard coverage.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a lidar system that includes a light source emitting pulses of light, a scanner configured to produce high-resolution scan patterns with interlaced scan lines and pixels, and a receiver capable of detecting scattered light to determine distance based on time-of-flight measurements.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional scanning methods are used, then the system structure is simple, but the measurement precision and resolution are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning process is divided into multiple passes with different resolutions. A first pass collects data at a lower resolution, and a second pass collects data at a higher resolution for specific regions of interest. This segmentation allows the system to achieve high measurement precision where needed while keeping the overall system complexity manageable by not requiring high resolution everywhere.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs a first scanning pass covering the entire field of regard, then performs a second pass that focuses excessive scanning effort on specific regions of interest. This partial or excessive action on selected areas enables high measurement precision for those regions without requiring the entire system to operate at maximum complexity and cost.
2Measurement precision
If high-resolution scanning is performed across the entire field of regard, then the measurement precision improves, but the scanning time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The field of regard is segmented into a full scan area and regions of interest. The first pass quickly scans the entire area at lower resolution, while the second pass concentrates scanning resources on specific regions of interest at higher resolution. This segmentation reduces total scanning time while maintaining high measurement precision where it matters most.
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of uniformly applying high-resolution scanning across the entire field of regard, the system applies partial or excessive scanning action only to regions of interest. This approach achieves high measurement precision for critical areas while significantly reducing the time lost to scanning less critical areas at the same resolution.
3Measurement precision
If the scanner covers the entire field of regard uniformly, then the coverage is comprehensive, but the resolution varies and is insufficient in critical areas
Solution Approach 1:
The scanning system applies different quality levels to different regions of the field of regard. Regions of interest receive high-resolution scanning in the second pass, while other areas receive only the first pass scanning. This local quality approach ensures high spatial resolution in critical areas without requiring uniformly high resolution across the entire field, simplifying the overall scan pattern design.
Solution Approach 2:
The scan pattern is made dynamic by adjusting the scanner's operation between two passes. The first pass uses a uniform, simpler pattern covering the entire field of regard, while the second pass dynamically focuses on specific regions of interest with higher resolution. This dynamic adaptation of scan patterns achieves high spatial resolution where needed while maintaining ease of operation through relatively simple individual pass patterns.
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
This approach enables the lidar system to achieve high-resolution, accurate distance measurements and comprehensive environmental mapping, effectively addressing the limitations of existing systems in terms of resolution and coverage.
Implementation Method 1
The system determines the distance to the target based on one or more characteristics associated with the received light. For example, the lidar system may determine the distance to the target based on the time of flight for a pulse of light emitted by the light source to travel to the target and back to the lidar system.
Implementation Method 2
The light source emits light toward a target which scatters the light, and some of the scattered light is received back at the receiver.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a light source configured to emit pulses of light and a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light along a high-resolution scan pattern located within a field of regard of the lidar system. The scanner includes one or more scan mirrors configured to (i) scan the emitted pulses of light along a first scan axis to produce multiple scan lines of the high-resolution scan pattern, where each scan line is associated with multiple pixels, each pixel corresponding to one of the emitted pulses of light and (ii) distribute the scan lines along a second scan axis to produce the high-resolution scan pattern, where the high-resolution scan pattern includes locally retraced scan lines.