Wide dynamic laser ranging based on diode laser and photon-counting techniques

Abstract

Ultrafast diode laser and photon-counting techniques were united to solve the trade-off between the dynamic range and high precision in the time of flight (TOF) laser ranging. Based on the direct time of flight (D-TOF) laser ranging method, we developed a wide dynamic laser ranging system. The peak power of the emission laser can reach 70 W, the width of pulsed laser is less than 2 ns, and the repetition rate can reach 500 kHz. The experimental results show that the precision is 7.5 mm when the echo signal is saturated. The maximum range can reach kilometer level, the accuracy is within 30 cm, and the repetition rate of measurement can reach 100 kHz. The system has the advantages of small size, low cost, fast detection speed, and high accuracy, which can be used in the fields of dynamic target measurement and high-speed environment perception.