APPLICATIONS OF TECHNOLOGY:
- Homeland security
- Law enforcement
- Radiological and nuclear security
ADVANTAGES:
- Conceals LiDAR unit without compromising field of view
- Enables mapping without direct line of sight
- Agnostic to type of unit used
- Lower data rates, cost and power consumption compared to multiple units
- Requires the calibration and synchronization of only one unit
ABSTRACT:
A Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) unit is typically placed at the top or outside of a vehicle or platform in a highly visible location so the unit’s lasers have an unobstructed view to accurately map an area of interest. Mark Bandstra and Brian Quiter of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory has developed the LiDAR periscope, a device that conceals a LiDAR unit and muffles the unit’s operating sounds without compromising a large fraction of its field of view. The LBNL technology may be used on any unit.
Specifically, LiDAR units are placed within a network of channels with highly reflective walls. The arrangement and dimensions of the channels are selected to suit the application. The technology can improve the form factor for a unit and lower drag to improve audio-visual performance.
LiDAR is a key technology for the advancement of autonomous vehicles, robotics, and other applications requiring computer vision. However, there are applications that call for a hidden or more discreet unit. The current approach to hiding a unit requires some kind of mirror configuration or at least two LiDAR units – each of which can cost $5,000 or more and weight about 1-2 kg – to cover the same area as a top-mounted LiDAR unit. LBNL’s technology minimizes cost and power consumption for an inconspicuous surveillance project without affecting performance.
DEVELOPMENT STAGE: Prototype
STATUS: Patent pending. Available for licensing or collaborative research.
SEE THESE OTHER BERKELEY LAB TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS FIELD:
Localization and Mapping Platform 2.0 2017-114
Optical Synchronization Systems for Femtosecond Light Sources IB-2131