KEYWORDS: LIDAR, Mirrors, Field programmable gate arrays, Sensors, Receivers, Transmitters, Data acquisition, Signal to noise ratio, Microelectromechanical systems, Robots
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is researching a short-range ladar imager for navigation, obstacle/collision
avoidance, and target detection/identification on small unmanned ground vehicles (UGV).To date, commercial UGV
ladars have been flawed by one or more factors including low pixelization, insufficient range or range resolution, image
artifacts, no daylight operation, large size, high power consumption, and high cost. ARL built a breadboard ladar based
on a newly developed but commercially available micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) mirror coupled to a lowcost
pulsed Erbium fiber laser transmitter that largely addresses these problems. Last year we integrated the ladar and
associated control software on an iRobot PackBot and distributed the ladar imagery data via the PackBot's computer
network. The un-tethered PackBot was driven through an indoor obstacle course while displaying the ladar data realtime
on a remote laptop computer over a wireless link. We later conducted additional driving experiments in cluttered
outdoor environments. This year ARL partnered with General Dynamics Robotics Systems to start construction of a
brass board ladar design. This paper will discuss refinements and rebuild of the various subsystems including the
transmitter and receiver module, the data acquisition and data processing board, and software that will lead to a more
compact, lower cost, and better performing ladar. The current ladar breadboard has a 5-6 Hz frame rate, an image size of
256 (h) × 128 (v) pixels, a 60° × 30° field of regard, 20 m range, eyesafe operation, and 40 cm range resolution (with
provisions for super-resolution or accuracy).
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is researching a short-range ladar imager for small unmanned ground vehicles for
navigation, obstacle/collision avoidance, and target detection and identification. To date, commercial ladars for this
application have been flawed by one or more factors including, low pixelization, insufficient range or range resolution,
image artifacts, no daylight operation, large size, high power consumption, and high cost. In the prior year we conceived
a scanned ladar design based on a newly developed but commercial MEMS mirror and a pulsed Erbium fiber laser. We
initiated construction, and performed in-lab tests that validated the basic ladar architecture. This year we improved the
transmitter and receiver modules and successfully tested a new
low-cost and compact Erbium laser candidate. We further
developed the existing software to allow adjustment of operating parameters on-the-fly and display of the imaged data in
real-time. For our most significant achievement we mounted the ladar on an iRobot PackBot and wrote software to
integrate PackBot and ladar control signals and ladar imagery on the PackBot's computer network. We recently remotely
drove the PackBot over an inlab obstacle course while displaying the ladar data real-time over a wireless link. The ladar
has a 5-6 Hz frame rate, an image size of 256 (h) × 128 (v) pixels, a 60° x 30° field of regard, 20 m range, eyesafe
operation, and 40 cm range resolution (with provisions for super-resolution or accuracy). This paper will describe the
ladar design and update progress in its development and performance.
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is researching a short-range ladar imager for small unmanned ground vehicles for
navigation, obstacle/collision avoidance, and target detection and identification. To date, commercial ladars for this
application have been flawed by one or more factors including, low pixelization, insufficient range or range resolution,
image artifacts, no daylight operation, large size, high power consumption, and high cost. The ARL conceived a
scanned ladar design based on a newly developed but commercial MEMS mirror and a pulsed Erbium fiber laser. The
desired performance includes a 6 Hz frame rate, an image size of 256 (h) × 128 (v) pixels, a 60° × 30° field of regard, 20
m range, eyesafe operation, and 40 cm range resolution (with provisions for super-resolution or accuracy). The ladar will
be integrated on an iRobot PackBot. To date, we have built and tested the transceiver when mounted in the PackBot armmounted
sensor head. All other electronics including the data acquisition and signal processing board, the power
distribution board, and other smaller ancillary boards are built and operating. We are now operating the ladar and
working on software development. This paper will describe the ladar design and progress in its development and
performance.
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