Abstract
We demonstrated the range imaging with high resolution of 256×256 pixels and high frame rate of 30 frames per second (fps) using a short wavelength infrared pulsed time-of-flight laser sensor, which is suitable for long range imaging. We additionally demonstrated the long range imaging of more than 1 km and wide field of view imaging of 12 deg× 4 deg, 768×256 pixels, and 10 fps. For these demonstrations, we developed the linear array devices of the aluminum indium arsenide avalanche photodiode array and silicon germanium bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor read-out integrated circuit array. We also deployed the flattop beam illumination optics with the beam division and recombination method and realized efficient line shape illumination.
Highlights
The time-of-flight (TOF) imaging laser sensor is an attractive tool for many applications, including robotics, terrain visualization, augmented vision, reconnaissance, pedestal detection, and so on
We have developed (i) 256 pixels linear array avalanche photodiode (APD) with aluminum indium arsenide for the multiplication layer (AlInAs-APD) for short wavelength infrared (SWIR) band which works at room temperature, (ii) silicon germanium bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (SiGe-BiCMOS) read-out integrated circuit (ROIC) array with the read-out rate of 2.56 MHz∕pixel
To the best of our knowledge, the above-mentioned imaging specification of our sensor is the highest for the range imaging pulsed laser sensor which is suitable for long range imaging
Summary
The time-of-flight (TOF) imaging laser sensor is an attractive tool for many applications, including robotics, terrain visualization, augmented vision, reconnaissance, pedestal detection, and so on. The transmitting optics was designed to form the flattop-like illumination only at the far-field and is not suitable for the flattop illumination for wide distance range which is an important function for imaging laser sensors To overcome these issues, we have developed (i) 256 pixels linear array APD with aluminum indium arsenide for the multiplication layer (AlInAs-APD) for short wavelength infrared (SWIR) band which works at room temperature, (ii) silicon germanium bipolar complementary metal oxide semiconductor (SiGe-BiCMOS) ROIC array with the read-out rate of 2.56 MHz∕pixel. The imaging range in Ref. 11 (linear array type) is relatively long (270 m) with the large number of pixels of 384 × 256, but the frame rate is limited to 15 Hz as noted above. Of this paper, we explain the key devices that we have developed, and show some imaging results using the prototypes using the SWIR band of 1.06 and 1.55 μm
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