Abstract
A lidar system based on a photon-counting Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode (GmAPD) array can provide high range resolution three-dimensional imaging. The small number of pixels in the GmAPD array limits the size of measured scenes compared to passive cameras. Here, the performance of rapid panoramic imaging of larger scenes is investigated. Controlled environment indoor measurement at up to 24 m range is used to validate the principle. Outdoor daylight measurements of natural targets at 230 to 340 m range are performed to test the capability of the measurement system. A 20 deg by 1.8 deg scene is imaged with 0.25-mrad lateral resolution in 4 s. The standard deviation of point to plane distances for a flat wall in the outdoor measurement is 10.6 mm, giving an estimate of the achievable relative range accuracy, even if this will depend on the signal-to-noise ratio. A radiometric model is used to estimate the performance of an upgraded optimized system and the necessary laser power for imaging at longer ranges in both day and night conditions.
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