SBIR Phase I: Resonant Light Detection and Ranging

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在研究和开发共振光探测和测距（R-LIDAR）距离传感技术。该技术将通过提供改进的距离感测性能以及传感器尺寸和成本的数量级降低来推进机器人和自主系统（RAS）的发展。 该项目的商业影响是，它将使RAS技术的开发有望提高许多行业的生产力，包括采矿，运输，制造，建筑，农业和国防。 RAS技术目前受到现有光探测和测距（LIDAR）技术的尺寸、性能和成本的限制，这些传感器的用户需要改进的解决方案。因此，R-LIDAR系统有望在LIDAR传感器市场产生重大的商业影响，预计到2020年将达到6.25亿美元。为R-LIDAR系统开发高性能共振光机扫描仪也将使使用光束扫描技术的相关学科受益，如显微镜、内窥镜、光加工和显示器。该项目的智力价值集中在基于使用共振频率驱动的光机扫描元件的共振光探测和测距（R-LIDAR）技术的开发上。谐振扫描仪提供稳健的高速和高性能操作，解决了现有光检测和测距（LIDAR）距离传感器的局限性。该项目的研究目标是（1）开发和表征关键的谐振扫描仪性能指标，如扫描稳定性，视场，分辨率和帧速率，以及（2）将谐振扫描仪元件集成到原型R-LIDAR仪器中，以比较尺寸，重量和功率规格与现有的LIDAR技术。与目前可用的高性能LIDAR距离传感器相比，R-LIDAR技术可以将仪器尺寸缩小10到100倍，性能提高5倍，仪器成本降低10倍。这些改进将大大提高无人驾驶和自主系统的距离传感的实用性。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to conduct research and development of a resonant light detection and ranging (R-LIDAR) distance sensing technology. This technology will advance the development of robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) by providing improved distance sensing performance and order-of-magnitude reductions in sensor size and cost. The commercial impact of this project is that it will enable development of RAS technologies that are expected to increase the productivity of many industries including mineral extraction, transport, manufacturing, construction, agriculture, and defense. RAS technologies are currently limited by the size, performance, and cost of existing light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology, and users of these sensors are in need of improved solutions. Thus, the R-LIDAR system can be expected to make a significant commercial impact in a LIDAR sensor market that is expected to reach $625 million by 2020. Development of high-performance resonant optomechanical scanners for R-LIDAR systems would also benefit related disciplines that use beam scanning technologies such as microscopy, endoscopy, light machining, and displays.The intellectual merit of this project concentrates on the development of resonant light detection and ranging (R-LIDAR) technology based upon use of an optomechanical scanning element actuated at resonant frequency. Resonant scanners provide robust high-speed and high-performance operation that addresses limitations of incumbent light detection and ranging (LIDAR) distance sensors. The research aims of this project are to (1) develop and characterize key resonant scanner performance metrics such as scan stability, field-of-view, resolution, and frame rate and (2) integrate a resonant scanner element into a prototype R-LIDAR instrument to compare size, weight, and power specifications to incumbent LIDAR technology. R-LIDAR technology could provide an estimated ten- to hundredfold reduction in instrument size, fivefold increase in performance, and a tenfold decrease in instrument cost compared to currently available high-performance LIDAR distance sensors. These improvements will dramatically enhance the utility of distance sensing for unmanned and autonomous systems.