Visible laser radar: range tomography and angle-angle-range detection

• Published in: Optical Engineering 1991-01, Vol.30 (1), p.55-65
• Main Authors: Knight, Frederick K, Klick, David I, Ryan-Howard, Danette P, Theriault, Jr, Joseph R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Optical elements, devices, and systems; Optics; Physics
• ISSN: 0091-3286; 1560-2303
• DOI: 10.1117/12.55773

This paper compares two detectors for visible laser radar: a one- dimensional detector that resolves a target in range and a three- dimensional detector that resolves a target in angle and range. For both, a short pulse laser illuminates the target. For both, the receiver is based on a streak camera, which detects reflected light from the illuminated target and resolves the light in time. The time resolution is 250 ps, so the target is resolved into 4 cm range cells. The one- dimensional detector focuses the reflected light to a point. The output is the one-dimensional, range-resolved projection of the target. The three- dimensional detector images the target on a focal plane, which is dissected by a fiber optic image converter attached to the streak camera. The output is a three-dimensional image of the target. For both detectors, data from two simple targets are shown. The paper also compares two methods of remote sensing using these detectors: two-dimensional range tomography using data from the one-dimensional detector and angle-angle-range imagery using the three-dimensional data. (Author)