Abstract
The creation of a compact and easy-to-use atmospheric lidar has been the aim of researchers for a long time. Micro Pulse Lidars (MPL) and commercialized ceilometers were designed for such purposes. Laser Diodes (LD) and Diode-Pumped Solid State (DPSS) Laser technology has evolved, making lidar system more compact; however, their vulnerability to static electricity and fluctuation of electrical power prevented the growth of atmospheric lidar technology as a system suited to all kinds of users. In this study, a mini lidar with a Light Emitting Diode (LED)-based light source was designed and developed. As LED lamp modules do not need a heat sink or fan, they are resilient and can emit light for long periods with constant intensity. They also offer ease of handling for non-professionals. On the other hand, a LED lamp module has a large divergence, when compared to laser beams. A prototype LED mini lidar was thus developed, with focus on transmitting power optimization and optical design. This low-cost lidar system is not only compact, but also offers near-range measurement applications. It visualizes rapid activities of small air cells in a close range (surface atmosphere), and can verify and predict the condition of the surface atmosphere. This paper summarizes the principle, design, practical use and applications of the LED mini-lidar.
Highlights
In the field of remote sensing, near-range measurement is important in the monitoring of surrounding environments
Spatial distribution can be monitored by the lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) technique using pulsed lasers and by detecting backscattered light from molecules and aerosols in the atmosphere [6,7,8]
The oscillation signal that drives an Light Emitting Diode (LED) lamp is produced by a combination circuit, which consists of an astable multivibrator circuit, a monostable multivibrator circuit, and an LED
Summary
In the field of remote sensing, near-range measurement is important in the monitoring of surrounding environments. Random modulated continuous wave (RM-CW) lidar was the first to use a low power LD light source [23,24,25,26] It utilized the modulated continuous wave (CW) beam of a laser diode and pseudo-random (M series) modulation, increasing the signal-to-noise ratio of the detected echoes. As background light cannot be negligible (because of a weak CW beam), echo intensity decreases rapidly, as compared to the usual pulse lidar This lidar offers the advantage of near-range observation with low transmitting optical power. A theoretical calculation was made to estimate the minimum output pulse power for the LED light module in order to get enough signal-to-noise ratio of the atmospheric lidar echo in the near range. The application and adaptation of the LED mini-lidar was discussed as well
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