Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. Sensor data generated by the time-of-flight sensor can include returns associated with highly reflective objects that cause glare. In some examples, a depth of a sensed surface is determined from the sensor data and additional pixels at the same depth are identified. The subset of pixels at the depth are filtered by comparing a measured intensity value to a threshold intensity value for the depth. Other threshold intensity values can be applied to subsets of pixels at different depths.

Abstract: A lens assembly for systems such as imaging devices. The lens assembly may include at least five lens elements, where one or more of the lens elements includes positive optical power and one or more of the lenses includes negative optical power. The lens assembly may further include an aperture stop located between the lens elements. In some instances, the lens assembly provides a horizontal field of view that is at least 80 degrees while still including a total track length that is less than or equal to 50 millimeters and a diameter that is less than or equal to 13 millimeters. Additionally, in some instances, the lens assembly may cause all rays which impinge the sensor to be less than or equal to approximately 10 degrees.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. The sensor may generate first image data at a first configuration and second image data at a second configuration. A disambiguated depth of a surface may be determined from the first image data and the second image data. If the disambiguated depth is greater than a nominal maximum depth of the sensor in the first configuration, an intensity of the surface may be determined from the first image data. If the intensity meets or exceeds a threshold intensity, the surface may be determined to be beyond the nominal maximum depth. If the intensity is less than the threshold intensity, an actual depth of the surface may be determined form the second image data as a distance less than the nominal maximum depth.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. Sensor data generated by the time-of-flight sensor can include saturated pixels, e.g., due to over-exposure, sensing highly-reflective objects, and/or excessive ambient light. In some examples, parameters associated with power of a time-of-flight sensor can be altered based on characteristics of the saturated pixels, as well as information about non-saturated pixels neighboring the saturated pixels. For example, the neighboring pixels may provide information about whether saturation is due to ambient light, e.g., sunlight, or due to emitted light from the sensor.

Abstract: A vehicle mounted sensor assembly includes a frame and a cover connected to the base. When assembled, the frame and the cover define a volume that is divided between a first cavity and a second cavity. A sensor is disposed in the first cavity and one or more antennas are disposed in the second cavity.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. Sensor data generated by the time-of-flight sensor can return unreliable pixels, e.g., in the case of over- or under-exposure. In some examples, parameters associated with power of a time-of-flight sensor can be altered based on a number of unreliable pixels in measured data and/or based on intensity values of the measured data. For example, unreliable pixels can be determined using phase frame information captured at a receiver of the sensor.

Abstract: Various lens designs for use in Time of Flight (ToF) sensor systems are discussed. Improvements to a ToF sensor system may be realized by, for example, incorporating a lens having particular features, such as a relatively short track length, fast lens speed (e.g., low f-number), low telecentricity, relatively flat field illumination, and fairly low cost. In some examples, such a lens of a ToF sensor system may be a lens assembly having a fixed focal length and that avoids use of lenses having aspheric surfaces so as to achieve relatively low cost.

Abstract: A blemish detection and characterization system and techniques for an optical imaging device includes determining a ratio of the light intensity of the image lost to the blemish relative to an expected light intensity of the image without the blemish. The system and technique may include receiving an image, transforming an image into a processed image with transformations and filters, as well as determining a relative magnitude of an intensity of a portion of the processed image relative to another area of the image. The system and technique may include taking an action based on the relative magnitude including rejecting a sensor, reworking the sensor, cleaning the sensor, or providing information about the blemish to a system to use in weighing data collected from the sensor.

Abstract: An imaging device blemish detection test enclosure and techniques for an optical imaging device includes a mounting structure for mounting an optical imaging device, a first body with a concave surface, and a second body holding the mounting structure relative to the first body. The mounting structure and the second body may orient an optical axis of a lens of the optical imaging device towards the concave surface and locate the lens relative to the concave surface where the interface between the first and second bodies is outside of a lens field of view of the lens. The system may include a light source disposed in the second body and directed towards the concave surface of the of the first body providing an evenly illuminating the concave surface. The concave surface may include a surface of a spherical sector greater than a hemisphere.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. The sensor may generate first image data at a first configuration and second image data at a second configuration. A disambiguated depth of a surface may be determined from the first image data and the second image data. If the disambiguated depth is greater than a nominal maximum depth of the sensor in the first configuration, an intensity of the surface may be determined from the first image data. If the intensity meets or exceeds a threshold intensity, the surface may be determined to be beyond the nominal maximum depth. If the intensity is less than the threshold intensity, an actual depth of the surface may be determined form the second image data as a distance less than the nominal maximum depth.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. Sensor data generated by the time-of-flight sensor can include returns associated with highly reflective objects that cause glare. In some examples, a depth of a sensed surface is determined from the sensor data and additional pixels at the same depth are identified. The subset of pixels at the depth are filtered by comparing a measured intensity value to a threshold intensity value for the depth. Other threshold intensity values can be applied to subsets of pixels at different depths.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. Sensor data generated by the time-of-flight sensor can include noise. In some examples, the sensor data is filtered by comparing a measured intensity value to a threshold intensity value. The threshold intensity value can be determined on a per-pixel basis using depth information and/or intensity information for a corresponding image frame.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. Sensor data generated by the time-of-flight sensor can be impacted by glare. In some examples, corrected data is generated by quantifying glare. A glare region including pixels that are not associated with an object in a range of the time-of-flight sensor may provide glare intensity and glare depth values used to quantify the glare. The glare intensity and glare depth may be used to correct measured data.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. The sensor may generate first image data at a first configuration and second image data at a second configuration. The first image data and the second image data may be combined to provide disambiguated depth and improved intensity values for imaging the environment. In some examples, the first and second configurations may have different modulation frequencies, different integration times, and/or different illumination intensities. In some examples, configurations may be dynamically altered based on depth and/or intensity information of a previous frame.

Abstract: Sensors, including time-of-flight sensors, may be used to detect objects in an environment. In an example, a vehicle may include a time-of-flight sensor that images objects around the vehicle, e.g., so the vehicle can navigate relative to the objects. The sensor may generate first image data at a first configuration and second image data at a second configuration. The first image data and the second image data may be combined to provide disambiguated depth and improved intensity values for imaging the environment. In some examples, the first and second configurations may have different modulation frequencies, different integration times, and/or different illumination intensities. In some examples, configurations may be dynamically altered based on depth and/or intensity information of a previous frame.

Abstract: Techniques for calibrating a camera utilizing a calibration station. The camera calibration station may be configured to emit collimated light toward a camera housed in a cradle. The camera may capture images of the collimated light at pre-determined positions throughout a calibration sequence. A computing system associated with the camera calibration station may utilize reference locations determined based on the collimated light at the pre-determined positions compared to measured locations of the collimated light at the pre-determined positions to determine intrinsics of the camera (e.g., focal length of lens, optical center of lens, etc.) and an error associated therewith. Based at least in part on the error being less than a threshold error, the computing system may store the intrinsic parameters of the camera.