PFI:AIR - TT: Highly Sensitive Eye-safe Flash LiDARs based on Nanoinjection Detectors

PFI:AIR - TT：基于纳米注入探测器的高灵敏度人眼安全闪光激光雷达

• 批准号: 1500314
• 负责人: Hooman Mohseni
• 金额: $ 19.91万
• 依托单位: Northwestern University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-04-01 至 2017-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1500314&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; AIR; TT; Highly; Sensitive

This PFI: AIR Technology Translation project focuses on improving the 3-dimensional (3D) imaging of structures. 3D imaging has applications in environmental mapping, ecological characterization, robots and automation, medical imaging, areal mapping, and defense. This project will use electron injection detectors developed at Northwestern to develop a 3D imaging technique that can be accomplished without moving parts, using laser illuminated detection and ranging (LIDAR) large detector arrays ("flash LIDAR"). Most current LIDAR systems use a small number of avalanche detectors and mechanical scanning methods to produce an image. Electron injection detectors, as proposed here, offer a promising alternative to avalanche detectors because they require less voltage and use less power, and can be made into large two-dimensional arrays. If successful, the proposed work could lead to "staring" LIDAR systems, which do not need mechanical scanning and produce a high-resolution 3D image in one shot. The system would be smaller, lighter and lower cost than existing 3D imaging systems with mechanical scanning. These improvements could enable 3D imagers to become as ubiquitous as digital cameras are today. This project addresses the following technology gap as it translates from research discovery toward commercial application: increasing the speed of electron injection detectors to enhance the ranging resolution. While the current devices are fast, they do not demonstrate gigahertz (GHz) speed. One of the limitations in achieving this speed is the parasitic capacitances, which will be addressed as part of the research effort. Also, high-bandwidth trans-impedance amplifiers will be used, an improvement over current existing voltage amplifiers. In addition to the PI, co-PI, and the personnel from sub-contracting company, there will be one graduate student who will receive significant technical training. The student will also learn directly from the commercialization work planned for the project, and from entrepreneurship courses offered by the McCormick School of Engineering. The project engages Michigan Aerospace, which has significant expertise in LIDAR system, to help identify the best tradeoff between different design parameter in this technology translation effort from research discovery toward commercial reality.

此 PFI：AIR 技术翻译项目专注于改进结构的 3 维 (3D) 成像。 3D 成像可应用于环境测绘、生态表征、机器人和自动化、医学成像、区域测绘和国防。 该项目将使用西北大学开发的电子注入探测器来开发一种无需移动部件、使用激光照明探测和测距 (LIDAR) 大型探测器阵列（“闪光 LIDAR”）即可完成的 3D 成像技术。 当前大多数激光雷达系统使用少量雪崩探测器和机械扫描方法来生成图像。这里提出的电子注入探测器为雪崩探测器提供了一种有前途的替代方案，因为它们需要更少的电压和使用更少的功率，并且可以制成大型二维阵列。 如果成功，拟议的工作可能会导致“凝视”LIDAR 系统，该系统不需要机械扫描并一次性生成高分辨率 3D 图像。 与现有的机械扫描 3D 成像系统相比，该系统更小、更轻且成本更低。 这些改进可以使 3D 成像仪像今天的数码相机一样无处不在。 该项目在从研究发现转向商业应用时解决了以下技术差距：提高电子注入探测器的速度以提高测距分辨率。虽然当前的设备速度很快，但它们并未表现出千兆赫 (GHz) 的速度。实现这一速度的限制之一是寄生电容，这将作为研究工作的一部分予以解决。此外，还将使用高带宽跨阻放大器，这是对当前现有电压放大器的改进。除PI、CO-PI和分包公司人员外，还将有一名研究生接受重要的技术培训。学生还将直接从该项目计划的商业化工作以及麦考密克工程学院提供的创业课程中学习。该项目与在激光雷达系统方面拥有丰富专业知识的密歇根航空航天公司合作，帮助确定从研究发现到商业现实的技术转化工作中不同设计参数之间的最佳权衡。