Design of a High-Resolution Multifocal LIDAR: Enabling Higher Resolution Beyond the Laser Pulse Rise Time

Abstract

3D imaging is increasingly impacting areas such as space, defense, automation, medical and automotive industries. The most well-known optical 3D imaging systems are LIDAR systems that rely on Time of Flight (ToF) measurement. The depth resolution of the LIDAR systems is limited by the rise time of the illumination signal, bandwidth of the detector systems, and the signal-to-noise ratio. The focal gradients can be utilized to obtain 3D images from 2D camera captures. In this study, we combine the basic LIDAR techniques with a physical measurement of focal gradient changes that are caused by the depth of field, to obtain a high-resolution 3D image using spatially separated single-pixel detectors. The system that we introduce here enables depth resolution that goes beyond the rise time of the incident laser pulse.