Abstract: A surveying instrument comprises a monopod installed on a reference point, a surveying instrument main body having a reference optical axis and an operation panel, wherein the surveying instrument main body has a distance measuring unit, an arithmetic control module, a measuring direction image pickup module which acquires a first image, and an attitude detector which detects tilts of two axes of the surveying instrument main body to the horizontal, and wherein the operation panel has a display unit, a calculating module, and as operation module, and the at least either one of the arithmetic control module and the calculating module calculates a tilt angle of the reference optical axis to the horizontal and a tilt angle of the monopod to the vertical, and the at least either one measures a horizontal distance and a vertical distance to the object to be measured with reference to the reference point.

Abstract: A compensation device for a biaxial LIDAR system includes two holographic optical elements, which are locatable between a receiving optical system and a detector element, and which are designed to compensate for a parallax effect of the biaxial LIDAR system, incident light being guidable onto the detector element with the aid of the two holographic optical elements.

Abstract: Embodiments included herein are directed towards a seismic spread system that may use a MEMS oscillator as a timing reference. The system may include a plurality of nodal seismic sensor units. The system may also include a plurality of MEMS oscillator clock devices, wherein each of the plurality of MEMS oscillator clock devices is associated with a respective one of the plurality of nodal seismic sensor units, the plurality of MEMS oscillator clock devices being configured to input time synchronization to the seismic system. Each MEMS oscillator clock device may include a MEMS resonator in communication with an integrated circuit.

Abstract: Provided is a sensing system that performs set control with high sensing accuracy. The sensing system that outputs an object signal includes a solid-state imaging device that senses a first physical target from an object and a second physical target different from the first physical target, and an arithmetic operation unit that calculates an object signal using a first signal from the first physical target and a second signal from the second physical target. The arithmetic operation unit calculates an object signal using a reference signal from a device mounted with the sensing system.

Abstract: A method for determining position of an aircraft with reference to a location on the ground includes transmitting an acoustic signal from a position on the aircraft to an array of spaced apart acoustic sensors proximate the location. The method includes at least one of (i) determining a time difference of arrival of the acoustic signal between each of the acoustic sensors and a reference acoustic sensor and (ii) determining an arrival time of the acoustic signal at each of the spaced apart acoustic sensors. The position of the aircraft is determined from the time differences of arrival and/or the arrival times.

Abstract: A proximity sensor which uses very narrow divergent beams from Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) for the illumination source is disclosed. Narrow divergent beams in the range 0.5 to 10 degrees can be achieved to provide high proximity sensing accuracy in a small footprint assembly. One approach to reducing the beam divergence is to increase the length of the VCSEL resonant cavity using external third mirror. A second embodiment extends the length of the VCSEL cavity by modifying the DBR mirrors and the gain region. Optical microlenses can be coupled with the VCSEL to collimate the output beam and reduce the beam divergence. These can be separate optical elements or integrated with the VCEL by modifying the substrate output surface profile or an added a transparent layer. These methods of beam divergence reduction are incorporated into various embodiment configurations to produce a miniature proximity sensor suitable for cell phones and tablets.

Abstract: Embodiments discussed herein refer to LiDAR systems that accurately observe objects that are relatively close and objects that are relatively far using systems and methods that employ a variable time interval between successive laser pulses and one or more filters.

Abstract: A two dimensional ultrasonic array transducer receives echo signals from increasing depths of a volumetric region. The 2D array is configured into patches of elements which are processed by a microbeamformer and summed signals from a patch are coupled to a channel of an ultrasound beamformer At the shallowest depth the 2D array receives echoes from small patches in the center of the aperture. As signals are received from increasing depths the aperture is grown by symmetrically adding patches of progressively larger sizes on either side of the small patches in the center. The inventive technique can improve the multiline performance of both 1D and 2D array probes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a hand-held observation device. The observation device is characterized in that a first observation channel comprises a first opto-mechanical stabilization unit for actively and equally stabilizing, during an observation, a first observation optical axis and an LRF axis of an integrated laser range finder by compensating for hand jitter during the observation, the first opto-mechanical stabilization unit being adapted for continuously adjusting and setting a lateral position (with respect to the optical axis) of at least one lens of the objective optical system of the first optical observation channel, in a way automatically controlled by an electronic processing and control unit, which reads and processes the gyro sensor data, particularly in a way wherein the adjusting of the lateral position of the at least one lens equally stabilizes the first observation optical axis and the LRF axis in one go.

Abstract: A method for calibrating unevenness of a plurality of measuring elements in an apparatus for evaluating road surface property having a plurality of measuring elements repeats steps of computing separation quantities from a calibration reference plane on a reference area regarding all measuring elements; determining a measuring element where the separation quantity is maximum from among all the measuring element to calibrate the measuring element such that a difference between point cloud data produced from a measurement value of the measuring element where the separation quantity is maximum and the calibration reference plane becomes equal or less than a predetermined value, producing a new calibration reference plane from the measurement values of the measuring elements including the calibrated measuring element, until RMS of point cloud data does not change.

Abstract: Devices, non-transitory computer-readable media and methods for providing a haptic signal based upon a detection of an object are disclosed. For example, the processor of a device may transmit a first ultrasonic signal via an ultrasonic emitter and detect an object based upon a receiving of a reflected signal via an ultrasonic detector, where the reflected signal comprises a reflection of the first ultrasonic signal from the object. The processor may further monitor for a second ultrasonic signal via the ultrasonic detector. The device may be associated with a user, and the second ultrasonic signal may be associated with a teammate of the user. The processor may also select whether to provide an instruction to a haptic actuator when the object is detected, based upon whether the second ultrasonic signal is received via the ultrasonic detector.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a waveguide is added to the LiDAR sensor that redirects some of a received target return laser beam to a first stage photodetector and amplifier. When the amplitude of the target return laser beam is high enough to oversaturate the amplifier, an electric current is generated by the amplifier and received by a tunable coupler. As the tunable coupler heats up due to the electric current, it redirects energy from the return target laser beam to a beam dump. The reduced return target laser beam is then received by a photodetector or RF amplifier and is used to calculate the distance between the LiDAR sensor and object that reflected the received target return laser beam. In addition, rather than redirect the energy to a beam dump, the energy may be redirected to another photodetector or amplifier and may be used to supplement the distance calculation.

Abstract: A distance measurement apparatus including at least one measurement unit, in which the measurement unit includes: a voltage level converter that applies an arbitrary bias to a voltage obtained on the basis of an output from a light receiver to offset a level of the voltage; an amplifier that amplifies a voltage output from the voltage level converter; and a measurement section that measures a timing at which an output from the amplifier reaches a predetermined threshold.

Abstract: A time of flight (ToF) sensor includes: a first pixel including a first photogate to receive light reflected by an object and generate a first phase signal, and a second photogate to generate a second phase signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the first phase signal; a second pixel including a third photogate to receive the reflected light and generate a third phase signal different from the first phase signal and a fourth photogate to generate a fourth phase signal having a phase difference of 180 degrees with respect to the third phase signal; a first signal output unit to output the first and second phase signals; and a second signal output unit to output the third and fourth phase signals, wherein the first, second, third and fourth photogates output the first to fourth phase signals during a frame period.

Abstract: The method comprises fabricating a plurality of sub-units on a planar substrate, where each sub-unit comprises an optical sensing structure configured to receive at least a portion of an optical wavefront that impinges on one or more of the sub-units, and material forming at least a portion of a hinge in a vicinity of a border with at least one adjacent sub-unit; removing at least a portion of the substrate on respective borders between each of at least three different pairs of sub-units to enable relative movement between the sub-units in each pair constrained by one of the hinges formed from the material; and providing one or more actuators configured to apply a force to fold a connected network of multiple sub-units into a non-planar formation.

Abstract: Provided are a sonar system and transducer assembly for producing a 3D image of an underwater environment. The sonar system may include a housing mountable to a watercraft having a transmit transducer that may transmit sonar pulses into the water. The system may include at least one sidescan transducer array in the housing that receives first and second sonar returns with first and second transducer elements and converts the first and second returns into first and second sonar return data. A sonar signal processor may then generate a 3D mesh data using the first and second sonar return data and at least a predetermined distance between the transducer elements. An associated method of using the sonar system is also provided.

Abstract: A system for presenting sonar beam indicators on charts for noting the direction of the sonar beam is provided herein. The system includes one or more transducer elements and a bearing sensor configured to measure a bearing associated with the one or more transducer elements during receipt of the sonar returns. A marine electronics device is configured to receive sonar return data from the one or more transducer elements and generate sonar images based thereon. The marine electronics device further is configured to determine a watercraft location, receive a measured bearing, plot a watercraft indicator on a navigation chart, and cause a sonar beam indicator to be displayed in association with the watercraft indicator based on the measured bearing. The sonar beam indicator displays an indication of the direction in which the one or more transducer elements are facing when the sonar return data was received.

Abstract: A seismic node deployment system comprises a cable supply with one or more seismic nodes configured for coupling to the cable at one or more attachment locations for deployment to a water column. A node attachment system is configured to drive a portion of the cable into periodic or reciprocal motion so that the attachment speed is substantially reduced relative to the speed at which the cable is deployed.

Abstract: A target positioning device and method based on a plecotus auritus double-pinna bionic sonar. An echo positioning device based on bionic pinnae of a bat can determine an azimuth and an elevation of a target to locate the spatial location of the target by using echoes obtained by two array elements, resolving a problem that two array element antennas cannot locate the space coordinates. In a positioning method based on bionic pinnae of a bat according to filtering characteristics of bat ears, a method for estimating a spatial location by a neural network is used, and a pulse string estimation method is used to reduce the error of estimated angles, to obtain a precise azimuth and elevation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that facilitate light detection and ranging operations. An example method includes determining, for at least one light-emitter device of a plurality of light-emitter devices, a light pulse schedule. The plurality of light-emitter devices is operable to emit light along a plurality of emission vectors. The light pulse schedule is based on a respective emission vector of the at least one light-emitter device and a three-dimensional map of an external environment. The light pulse schedule includes at least one light pulse parameter and a listening window duration. The method also includes causing the at least one light-emitter device of the plurality of light-emitter devices to emit a light pulse according to the light pulse schedule. The light pulse interacts with an external environment.