Three-dimensional imaging laser radar with a photon-counting avalanche photodiode array and microchip laser

Albotǎ, Marius A.; Heinrichs, Richard; Kocher, David G.; Fouche, Daniel G.; Player, Brian E.; O’Brien, M.; Aull, Brian F.; Zayhowski, J. J.; Mooney, James; Willard, Berton C.; Carlson, Robert R

doi:10.1364/ao.41.007671

Cited by 245 publications

(123 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Arrayed detection systems, or a scanning approach using an individual single-photon detector, can be employed for full three-dimensional analysis of scenes. This article concentrates on time-of-flight photon-counting systems using individual optimized single-photon avalanche diode detectors, although the basic principles of photon counting have also been used to form three-dimensional depth images using arrays of semiconductor single-photon detectors [4], [5] and single-photon counting microchannel plates with crossed delay lines [3]. In Section II, we describe a prototype photon-counting system designed for very accurate depth measurement at short range, aimed primarily at applications in metrology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ranging and Three-Dimensional Imaging Using Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting and Point-by-Point Acquisition

Buller

Wallace

2007

IEEE J. Select. Topics Quantum Electron.

167

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Abstract-Time-correlated single-photon counting techniques have been applied to time-of-flight ranging and imaging. This article describes recent progress in photon-counting systems performing surface mapping using point-by-point acquisition of noncooperative targets at short ranges of the order of 1-50 m, as well as measurements on distributed targets at longer ranges of the order of a 100 m to a few kilometers. We describe the measurement approach, the signal analysis methodology and algorithm selection.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ranging and Three-Dimensional Imaging Using Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting and Point-by-Point Acquisition

Buller

Wallace

2007

IEEE J. Select. Topics Quantum Electron.

167

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“…2b [4, [26][27][28]. For each pixel i, the peak position of the Gaussian fit t i is a measure of the 4 light travel-time from the moment the laser hits the ground, scatters to an object at a point and scatters back to the specific point in the field of view of the camera.…”

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confidence: 99%

Detection and tracking of moving objects hidden from view

et al. 2015

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The ability to detect motion and track a moving object hidden around a corner or behind a wall provides a crucial advantage when physically going around the obstacle is impossible or dangerous. Previous methods have demonstrated that is possible to reconstruct the shape of an object hidden from view. However, these methods do not enable the tracking of movement in real-time. We demonstrate a compact non-line-of-sight laser ranging technology that relies upon the ability to send light around an obstacle using a scattering floor and to detect the return signal from a hidden object with only a few seconds acquisition time. By detecting this signal with a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) camera, we follow the movement of an object located a meter away from the camera with centimetre precision. We discuss the possibility of applying this technology to a variety of real-life situations in the 1 near future.Recent years have seen remarkable advances in the field of image processing and data acquisition, allowing for a range of novel applications [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]. An exciting new avenue is using optical imaging techniques to observe and track objects that are both in movement and hidden from the direct line-of-sight. The ability to detect motion and track a moving object hidden from view would provide a crucial advantage when physically going around the obstacle is impossible or dangerous, for example to detect a person moving behind a wall or a car approaching from behind a blind corner.Techniques for imaging static objects that are hidden from view have been recently demonstrated relying on, for example, radar technology [9,10], variations of laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) [3,5,11,12], or speckle-based imaging. The latter approach was first developed for imaging through opaque barriers [13][14][15], and also allows for imaging around corners [16,17]. The work of Velten et al. [5] and, more recently, Buttafava et al. [8] sets out to establish the 3D shape of a static hidden object by collecting the return scattered light with a streak camera or single-photon avalanche diode, respectively. While remarkable 3D reconstruction of objects are achieved with these techniques, Buttafava et al. point out that the requirement for scanning and subsequent long acquisition times mean that their technique is currently unsuitable for imaging moving objects.Notwithstanding these ingenious imaging systems, locating the position of a hidden object in motion and monitoring its movement in real time remains to date a major challenge. We set out to solve the tracking problem and develop a technique based on both hardware and software implementations that are specifically designed for this 2 purpose. Our solution is based on a LIDAR-like approach where a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) camera [7,[18][19][20][21][22] is used to image light that is backscattered from beyond the direct line-of-sight (see Methods for camera details). The high temporal resolution of the camera relies on the fact that each indiv...

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“…In recent years, single-photon timing has emerged as a candidate technology for high-resolution three-dimensional profiling [1], and the performance of the approach has been demonstrated in a number of field trials [2]- [4]. Timecorrelated single-photon counting (TCSPC) is a statistical sampling technique which records the arrival time of detected photons with respect to the emitted laser pulse or absolute time.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bayesian restoration of reflectivity and range profiles from subsampled single-photon multispectral Lidar data

Altmann

Tobin

Maccarone

et al. 2017

2017 25th European Signal Processing Conference (EUSIPCO)

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Abstract-In this paper, we investigate the recovery of range and spectral profiles associated with remote three-dimensional scenes sensed via single-photon multispectral Lidar (MSL). We consider different spatial/spectral sampling strategies and compare their performance for similar overall numbers of detected photons. For a regular spatial grid, the first strategy consists of sampling all the spatial locations of the grid for each of the wavelengths. Conversely, the three other strategies consist, for each spatial location, of acquiring a reduced number of wavelengths, chosen randomly or in a deterministic manner. We propose a fully automated computational method, adapted for the different sampling strategies in order to recover the target range profile, as well as the reflectivity profiles associated with the different wavelengths. The performance of the four sampling strategies is illustrated using a single photon MSL system with four wavelengths. The results presented demonstrate that although the first strategy usually provides more accurate results, the subsampling strategies do not exhibit a significant performance degradation, particularly for extremely photonstarved data (down to one photon per pixel on average).

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Three-dimensional imaging laser radar with a photon-counting avalanche photodiode array and microchip laser

Cited by 245 publications

References 6 publications

Ranging and Three-Dimensional Imaging Using Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting and Point-by-Point Acquisition

Ranging and Three-Dimensional Imaging Using Time-Correlated Single-Photon Counting and Point-by-Point Acquisition

Detection and tracking of moving objects hidden from view

Bayesian restoration of reflectivity and range profiles from subsampled single-photon multispectral Lidar data

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