Beam path intersections between two coplanar lidar scanners

Gerald B. Popko; Yijun Bao; Thomas K. Gaylord; Christopher R. Valenta

doi:10.1117/1.OE.58.3.033103

18 March 2019 Beam path intersections between two coplanar lidar scanners

Gerald B. Popko, Yijun Bao, Thomas K. Gaylord, Christopher R. Valenta

Author Affiliations +

Optical Engineering, Vol. 58, Issue 3, 033103 (March 2019). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.58.3.033103

Abstract

A mathematical description of the intersection of a transmitted beam and a beam-like field of view between two stationary, coplanar, circularly scanning light detection and ranging (lidar) devices is presented. This beam intersection information establishes when scattered signal interference between two lidar devices can occur. Such interference may result in erroneous range data. The fraction of time over which the scanners’ beams intersect is analyzed as a function of rotational frequencies and their reference phases. It is shown that the minima and maxima of this fraction are 0 and 1 / 2, with most configurations resulting near 1 / 4. A procedure to adjust the scan rates and phases to minimize this intersection time (including zero intersection) thus reducing the risk of mutual interference is also outlined. Four configurations that produce zero intersection between two scanners are presented. Configurations of three and four scanners are also presented for which no intersections between the scanners’ transmission paths occur.

Citation Download Citation

Gerald B. Popko, Yijun Bao, Thomas K. Gaylord, and Christopher R. Valenta "Beam path intersections between two coplanar lidar scanners," Optical Engineering 58(3), 033103 (18 March 2019). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.OE.58.3.033103

Received: 17 January 2019; Accepted: 26 February 2019; Published: 18 March 2019

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