Abstract: Systems and methods are described that relate to a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device. The LIDAR device includes a fiber laser configured to emit light within a wavelength range, a scanning portion configured to direct the emitted light in a reciprocating manner about a first axis, and a plurality of detectors configured to sense light within the wavelength range. The device additionally includes a controller configured to receive target information, which may be indicative of an object, a position, a location, or an angle range. In response to receiving the target information, the controller may cause the rotational mount to rotate so as to adjust a pointing direction of the LIDAR. The controller is further configured to cause the LIDAR to scan a field-of-view (FOV) of the environment. The controller may determine a three-dimensional (3D) representation of the environment based on data from scanning the FOV.

Abstract: An optical distance measuring device includes a light emitting element in which a plurality of light emitting units 16 that emit light are arranged so that a gap is present between adjacent ones of the light emitting units, a transmission unit through which the light is transmitted, a drive unit that changes a positional relationship between the light emitting element and the transmission unit, and a light receiving unit that receives reflected light of the light. The drive unit changes the positional relationship between the light emitting element and the transmission unit, thereby changing an irradiation path of the light along an arrangement direction.

Abstract: Provided is a distance measurement system, including: at least one sound source configured to generate an acoustic signal; an acoustic sensor including a plurality of directional acoustic sensors arranged to have directionalities different from one another; and at least one processor configured to: obtain a directionality of the acoustic signal in a particular direction based on at least one of a sum of output signals of the plurality of directional acoustic sensors or a difference between the output signals of the plurality of directional acoustic sensors, the at least one of the sum or the difference being based on applying a weight to at least one of the output signals; and determine a distance between the acoustic sensor and a reflection surface based on a time for the acoustic signal to arrive at the acoustic sensor in the particular direction after being generated and then reflected from the reflection surface.

Abstract: An electronic apparatus for detecting distances from the electronic apparatus to external objects is provided, the apparatus comprising a substrate, a light receiving sensor of a distance measurement sensor arranged over the substrate, one or more light sources arranged over the substrate, a first lens arranged over a first one of the light sources and arranged to direct light emitted by the first light source, a second lens arranged over the light receiving sensor and configured to direct light received by the second lens onto the light receiving sensor of the distance measurement sensor, and a transparent member arranged between the second lens and the light receiving sensor and configured to transmit the light directed by the second lens onto the light receiving sensor, and reflect light from at least one of the light sources onto the light receiving sensor of the distance measurement sensor, a lens holder.

Abstract: The quality of ping-based ultrasound imaging is dependent on the accuracy of information describing the precise acoustic position of transmitting and receiving transducer elements. Improving the quality of transducer element position data can substantially improve the quality of ping-based ultrasound images, particularly those obtained using a multiple aperture ultrasound imaging probe, i.e., a probe with a total aperture greater than any anticipated maximum coherent aperture width. Various systems and methods for calibrating element position data for a probe are described.

Abstract: An apparatus automatically positions an optical test module relative to a Lidar sensor during a target simulation test of the Lidar sensor. The apparatus includes a sensor platform configured to support a Lidar sensor, and a test module platform configured to support an optical test module such that an optical window of the optical test module faces in a direction towards the Lidar sensor supported by the sensor platform.

Abstract: A scanner has a rotational shaft and at least one reflection surface. The scanner rotates the at least one reflection surface together with the rotational shaft to thereby (i) change a direction of the light beam transmitted from the phototransmitter and incident on the scanner to output a changed light beam in a main scanning direction that is orthogonal to an axial direction of the rotational shaft, and (ii) reflect an arrival light beam arriving from a scanning region to thereby output the light beam to a direction in which the light beam is incident on the scanner. A photoreceiver receives the arrival light beam reflected by the scanner. The photoreceiver includes a received-light deflection mirror that deflects the arrival light beam outputted from the scanner in a second direction different from the first direction, and a light receiving device that receives the arrival light beam deflected by the received-light deflection mirror.

Abstract: An ultrasonic transducer device comprises a piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (PMUT), a transmitter with first and second differential outputs, and a controller. The PMUT includes a membrane layer. A bottom electrode layer, comprising a first bottom electrode and a second bottom electrode, is disposed above the membrane layer. The piezoelectric layer is disposed above the bottom electrode layer. The top electrode layer is disposed above the piezoelectric layer and comprises a segmented center electrode disposed above a center of the membrane layer and a segmented outer electrode spaced apart from the segmented center electrode. The controller, responsive to the PMUT being placed in a transmit mode, is configured to couple the first and second segments of the bottom electrode layer with ground, couple the first output of the transmitter with the segments of the segmented center electrode, and couple the second output with the segments of the segmented outer electrode.

Abstract: A system includes a measurement device having an electronic distance measurement (EDM) instrument, and at least one processor coupled to the EDM instrument. The at least one processor is configured to localize the measurement device relative to a design model, the measurement device being physically located at a measurement location, automatically generate, for at least one design element in the design model, a plurality of sample directions, control the EDM instrument to automatically perform measurements in the plurality of sample directions, and generate and output a verification result indicating a relation between the at least one design element and at least one object corresponding to the at least one design element, based on a shape of the at least one design element and measurement data of the measurements.

Abstract: Described herein are techniques for tracking objects (including human body parts such as a hand), namely: 1) two-state transducer interpolation in acoustic phased-arrays; 2) modulation techniques in acoustic phased-arrays; 3) fast acoustic full matrix capture during haptic effects; 4) time-of-flight depth sensor fusion system; 5) phase modulated spherical wave-fronts in acoustic phased-arrays; 6) long wavelength phase modulation of acoustic field for location and tracking; and 7) camera calibration through ultrasonic range sensing.

Abstract: A surveying instrument for executing a relocation functionality, which determines first coordinates of a stationary target point associated with the start signal, in response to a start signal, a first actuator and a second actuator are controlled such that the stationary target point remains within a detection area of a tracking unit of the surveying instrument, determines second coordinates of the stationary target point, receives an end signal, wherein the second coordinates of the stationary target point are associated with the end signal, and based at least in part on the first and second coordinates of the stationary target point, and determines a relative pose of the surveying instrument with respect to a first setup location and a second setup location, wherein the first setup location is associated with the first coordinates and the second setup location is associated with the second coordinate.

Abstract: A system is provided for imaging an underwater environment. The system includes one or more arrays of transducer elements. Each array is operated at a fixed phase shift and varies in frequency so as to beamform multiple sonar return beams of a first range of angles and a second range of angles. The arrays can be oriented to cover the gap in sonar coverage for other arrays to create a continuous arc of sonar coverage. Accordingly, a 2D live sonar image can be formed. One or more of the multiple sonar return beams facing downwardly can be selected and used to form downward sonar images that anglers are used to, without requiring separate transducer elements. Fish arches formed using multiple sonar return beams can be positioned appropriately within a high resolution downward sonar image to form a desirable combined sonar image.

Abstract: Acoustic data, such as a full matrix capture (FMC) matrix, can be reconstructed by applying a previously trained decoder machine learning model to one or more encoded acoustic images, such as the TFM image(s), to generate reconstructed acoustic data. A processor can use the reconstructed acoustic data, such as an FMC matrix, to recreate new encoded acoustic images, such as TFM image(s), using different generation parameters (e.g., acoustic velocity, part thickness, acoustic mode, etc.).

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems are provided to determine distances to one or more objects, and comprise an image capture system; an angular movement system; an illumination source providing illumination having a time varying amplitude; and a range measurement circuit configured to: obtain, based on at least one of measured and induced LOS angular displacement changes relative to the image capture system, a set of candidate point-spread-functions (PSFs) corresponding to different possible ranges; deconvolve, using the candidate PSFs, at least a region of interest (ROI) in an evaluation image to obtain at least a set of deconvolved ROIs of the evaluation image, each corresponding to one of the candidate PSFs; identify a first candidate PSF that produces a deconvolved ROI resulting in a determined artifact power that is lower than a corresponding artifact power determined from the other candidate PSFs; and determine a distance corresponding to the first candidate PSF.

Abstract: An autonomous vehicle includes a LIDAR system that includes a waveguide array, a collimator configured to receive a plurality of beams from the waveguide array and output a plurality of collimated beams, and a scanner configured to adjust a direction of the plurality of collimated beams. The vehicle also includes one or more processors configured to determine a range to an object based on a return signal received from reflection or scattering of the plurality of collimated beams by the object and to control operation of at least one of a steering system or the braking system based on the range.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a high-accuracy, fast, and phase-based laser ranging method. The method includes: S1, obtaining an eigen signal and an avalanche photon diode (APD) echo signal whose phases are different and frequencies are the same; S2, performing, through an adaptive filtering method, denoising on an initial signal, to obtain two denoised signals; S3, separately performing data splitting, reconstitution, and all-phase fast Fourier transform on the denoised signals, to obtain a frequency-phase spectral line of the eigen signal and a frequency-phase spectral line of the APD echo signal; S4, separately traversing maximum phase values of the frequency-phase spectral line of the eigen signal and the frequency-phase spectral line of the APD echo signal, to obtain a phase difference ??; S5, converting the phase difference ?? into a distance; S6, performing signal mean filtering processing, and S7, performing Kalman filtering processing.

Abstract: A ranging method and a range finder allow reliable measurement of the distance to a target object even when the target object has a very low reflectivity and/or under conditions with disturbances. The range finder includes: a light receiving element configured to receive a reflected component of light emitted to a target object; a first detection unit and a second detection unit configured to perform two different types of detections with different detection gains; and a distance/light-intensity calculation processing unit serves as a calculation unit for calculating a measured distance based on a combination of result patterns of the detections performed by the first and second detection units. The range finder determines a distance by causing each of the first and second detection units performs at least two detections with a time interval per a single light emission.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting an incoming laser beam with a photodetector is described. A beam splitter is mounted to receive the incoming laser beam after correction by a wavefront corrector. The beam splitter directs most of the incoming laser beam to the photodetector, but diverts a small portion of the incoming laser beam to a wavefront sensor. A feedback control circuit is configured to control the wavefront corrector to at least partially correct for wavefront distortions detected by the wavefront sensor.

Abstract: A system and method of classifying an object. The system includes a polarizing beam splitter, a first detector, a second detector and a processor. The polarizing beam splitter generates a first source signal having a first polarization direction and a second source signal having a second polarization. The first detector transmits the first source signal at the object and receives a first reflected signal generated at the object in response to the first source signal. The second detector transmits the second source signal at the object and receives a second reflected signal generated at the object in response to the second source signal. The processor is configured to compare the first reflected signal to the second reflected signal to classify the object.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sensor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode. The first electrode is provided an ultrasonic microphone that includes a vibration element that provides a function for converting between mechanical vibrations and electrical signals. The second electrode is externally from the ultrasonic microphone such that an electrical characteristic between the second electrode and the first electrode changes based on an adhesion state of substances adhering to the ultrasonic microphone. The third electrode is provided so as to suppress changes in the electrical characteristic between the first electrode and the second electrode caused by factors other than the adhesion of substances adhering to the ultrasonic microphone.