Compact 3D flash lidar video cameras and applications

Stettner, Roger

doi:10.1117/12.851831

Cited by 55 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Such ALS units are referred to as Flash LiDAR/LADAR systems. This technology is common in the military arena but very limited in the commercial sector [26,27].…”

Section: Understanding Als Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Now You See It… Now You Don’t: Understanding Airborne Mapping LiDAR Collection and Data Product Generation for Archaeological Research in Mesoamerica

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract:In this paper we provide a description of airborne mapping LiDAR, also known as airborne laser scanning (ALS), technology and its workflow from mission planning to final data product generation, with a specific emphasis on archaeological research. ALS observations are highly customizable, and can be tailored to meet specific research needs. Thus it is important for an archaeologist to fully understand the options available during planning, collection and data product generation before commissioning an ALS survey, to ensure the intended research questions can be answered with the resultant data products. Also this knowledge is of great use for the researcher trying to understand the quality and limitations of existing datasets collected for other purposes. Throughout the paper we use examples from archeological ALS projects to illustrate the key concepts of importance for the archaeology researcher.

show abstract

“…Such ALS units are referred to as Flash LiDAR/LADAR systems. This technology is common in the military arena but very limited in the commercial sector [26,27].…”

Section: Understanding Als Technologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Now You See It… Now You Don’t: Understanding Airborne Mapping LiDAR Collection and Data Product Generation for Archaeological Research in Mesoamerica

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…ASC's 3D Flash LIDAR cameras provide 2D intensity images plus depth information in real time 11 . Converting each 2D point into 3D space is straight forward through one simple equation.…”

Section: Asc's 3d Flash Lidar Cameramentioning

confidence: 99%

Drogue tracking using 3D flash lidar for autonomous aerial refueling

Chen

Stettner

2011

Laser Radar Technology and Applications XVI

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Autonomous aerial refueling (AAR) is an important capability for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to increase its flying range and endurance without increasing its size. This paper presents a novel tracking method that utilizes both 2D intensity and 3D point-cloud data acquired with a 3D Flash LIDAR sensor to establish relative position and orientation between the receiver vehicle and drogue during an aerial refueling process. Unlike classic, vision-based sensors, a 3D Flash LIDAR sensor can provide 3D point-cloud data in real time without motion blur, in the day or night, and is capable of imaging through fog and clouds. The proposed method segments out the drogue through 2D analysis and estimates the center of the drogue from 3D point-cloud data for flight trajectory determination. A level-set front propagation routine is first employed to identify the target of interest and establish its silhouette information. Sufficient domain knowledge, such as the size of the drogue and the expected operable distance, is integrated into our approach to quickly eliminate unlikely target candidates. A statistical analysis along with a random sample consensus (RANSAC) is performed on the target to reduce noise and estimate the center of the drogue after all 3D points on the drogue are identified. The estimated center and drogue silhouette serve as the seed points to efficiently locate the target in the next frame.

show abstract

“…The 1° receiver optics include a fixed 100 mm f/7.3 Advanced Scientific Concepts, Inc. (ASC) receiver lens, a plano-concave corrector lens, and a solar filter. The backscatter is sampled by the Tiger Eye 3-D imaging camera serial number 1005 produced by ASC which incorporates a focal plane array (based on an InGaAs APD detector) of 128 x 128 pixels 6 . The two lidars share one data acquisition system (thus only one lidar is operated on a given flight) which encodes the intensity at 8 bits and the range at 16 bits.…”

Section: Flash Lidar Operational Conceptmentioning

confidence: 99%

Helicopter flight test of 3D imaging flash LIDAR technology for safe, autonomous, and precise planetary landing

et al. 2013

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Two flash lidars, integrated from a number of cutting-edge components from industry and NASA, are lab characterized and flight tested for determination of maximum operational range under the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project (in its fourth development and field test cycle) which is seeking to develop a guidance, navigation, and control (GN&C) and sensing system based on lidar technology capable of enabling safe, precise crewed or robotic landings in challenging terrain on planetary bodies under any ambient lighting conditions. The flash lidars incorporate pioneering 3-D imaging cameras based on Indium-Gallium-Arsenide Avalanche Photo Diode (InGaAs APD) and novel micro-electronic technology for a 128 x 128 pixel array operating at 30 Hz, high pulse-energy 1.06 µm Nd:YAG lasers, and high performance transmitter and receiver fixed and zoom optics. The two flash lidars are characterized on the NASA-Langley Research Center (LaRC) Sensor Test Range, integrated with other portions of the ALHAT GN&C system from partner organizations into an instrument pod at NASA-JPL, integrated onto an Erickson Aircrane Helicopter at NASA-Dryden, and flight tested at the Edwards AFB Rogers dry lakebed over a field of humanmade geometric hazards during the summer of 2010. Results show that the maximum operational range goal of 1 km is met and exceeded up to a value of 1.2 km. In addition, calibrated 3-D images of several hazards are acquired in realtime for later reconstruction into Digital Elevation Maps (DEM's).

show abstract

Compact 3D flash lidar video cameras and applications

Cited by 55 publications

References 0 publications

Now You See It… Now You Don’t: Understanding Airborne Mapping LiDAR Collection and Data Product Generation for Archaeological Research in Mesoamerica

Now You See It… Now You Don’t: Understanding Airborne Mapping LiDAR Collection and Data Product Generation for Archaeological Research in Mesoamerica

Drogue tracking using 3D flash lidar for autonomous aerial refueling

Helicopter flight test of 3D imaging flash LIDAR technology for safe, autonomous, and precise planetary landing

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About