Invention:
This technology is a new method of steering laser beams in LiDAR systems. Based upon live camera information, it creates a computer generated hologram (CGH) used to focus the LiDAR scans on specific areas of interest, improving real-time detection and tracking of important objects in the field of view.
Background:
Light Detection and Ranging, or LiDAR, is used to determine the range of an object by bouncing a laser off a distant object. When the laser is scanned over multiple areas in sequence, it can begin to map the shape of an object and track its movement. These techniques are used in many applications, including surveying, mapping, earth and atmospheric sciences, military applications, and autonomous vehicles.
To be most effective in a dynamic environment where there are moving objects or the LiDAR source is moving (such as in autonomous driving applications), LiDAR detection needs to be both high resolution and fast. This technology seeks to meet this requirement by focusing most of the laser scanning on areas of interest, rather than scanning the entire field of view equally.
Applications:
- LiDAR
- Real time object detection
- Autonomous vehicles
- 3D sensing
Advantages:
- Fast
- Reduced computational load
- Focuses detection on important areas of interest
