A ranging system includes a first ranging unit with a first laser driver, a first control circuit generating a first trigger signal, and a first data interface with a first trigger transmitter transmitting the first trigger signal over a first data transmission line and a first calibration receiver receiving a first calibration signal over a second data transmission line. A second ranging unit includes a second laser driver, a second data interface with a second trigger receiver receiving the first trigger signal and a second calibration transmitter transmitting the first calibration signal, and a second control circuit generating the first calibration signal in response to receipt of the first trigger signal. The first control circuit determines an elapsed time between transmission of the first trigger signal and receipt of the first calibration signal. The determined elapsed time is used to synchronize activation of the first and second laser drivers.

Provided is a tangible, non-transitory, machine readable medium storing instructions that when executed by the image processor effectuates operations including: capturing, with a first image sensor, a first image of at least two light points projected on a surface by the at least one laser light emitter; extracting, with at least one image processor, a first distance between the at least two light points in the first image in a first direction; and estimating, with the at least one image processor, a first distance to the surface on which the at least two light points are projected based on at least the first distance between the at least two light points and a predetermined relationship relating a distance between at least two light points in the first direction and a distance to the surface on which the at least two light points are projected.

The invention provides a sensing system (1000), e.g. for agricultural application, comprising a radiation generator (100), a sensing apparatus (200), and a control system (300) functionally coupled to the radiation generator (100) and the sensing apparatus (200), wherein the sensing system (1000) has one or more time-of-flight sensing modes of operation, wherein the generator (100) is configured to generate a pulse of radiation (111) in the one or more time-of-flight sensing modes of operation, and wherein the sensing apparatus (200) is configured to sense wavelength dependent spectral intensities of radiation received by the sensing apparatus (200) as a function of time in the one or more time-of-flight sensing modes, to provide a sensing system signal; wherein the sensing system signal is indicative of the wavelength dependent spectral intensity distribution of the received radiation as a function of time in the one or more time-of-flight sensing modes.

Laser scanning is performed along a transverse section of a tunnel while the amount of scanning is reduced as much as possible. A laser scanning apparatus includes a horizontal rotation unit, a vertical rotation unit disposed on the horizontal rotation unit, and an optical unit disposed on the vertical rotation unit and configured to emit and receive laser scanning light. A method includes obtaining laser scanning data of right and left wall surfaces of a tunnel, calculating a straight line that connects the right and left wall surfaces and that crosses a perpendicular line passing a position at which the laser scanning apparatus is set up, and calculating a direction orthogonal to the straight line in a horizontal plane, and performing laser scanning of a transverse section of the tunnel while the vertical rotation unit is rotated around a rotation axis in the calculated direction.

A system is presented in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. In various embodiments, the system includes a light source configured to emit light, an emitting lens positioned to obtain the emitted light and configured to produce a shaped beam, an optical element positioned to obtain the shaped beam and redirect the shaped beam toward a near field object to produce scattered light from the near field object, and to obtain and redirect at least a portion of the scattered light, and a collection lens configured to focus the at least the portion of the scattered light on a light detector.

An image sensor, employed in a time-of-flight (TOF) sensing system, includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in plural rows and plural columns, each pixel generating an amount of charge in response to an incident light, and first driving circuitry configured to supply a driving control signal to each pixel via the plural columns. The first driving circuitry is configured to supply the driving control signal via one of odd and even columns.

Various implementations disclosed herein include a method for operating a LIDAR sensor, comprising repeatedly performing measurements in a respective measurement time window (M), at the beginning of which at least one measurement light pulse (A) having at least one predefined wavelength is emitted by the LIDAR sensor, and determining whether a light pulse (A′) having the at least one predefined wavelength is detected by the LIDAR sensor within the measurement time window (M), wherein a time interval (D1, D2, D3) between two consecutive measurement time windows (M) is varied.

Various implementations disclosed herein include a method for operating a LIDAR sensor, comprising repeatedly performing measurements in a respective measurement time window (M), at the beginning of which at least one measurement light pulse (A) having at least one predefined wavelength is emitted by the LIDAR sensor, and determining whether a light pulse (A′) having the at least one predefined wavelength is detected by the LIDAR sensor within the measurement time window (M), wherein a time interval (D1, D2, D3) between two consecutive measurement time windows (M) is varied.

Point cloud data that is missed due to an optical reflection object in measuring point cloud data using a laser scanner is used. A reflection object position calculating device includes a point cloud data receiving unit, a three-dimensional point cloud model generating unit, a missing data part searching unit, a missing data part determining unit, and a reflection object position calculator. The point cloud data receiving unit receives point cloud data. The three-dimensional point cloud model generating unit generates a three-dimensional point cloud model from the received point cloud data. The missing data part searching unit searches for a missing data part of the generated three-dimensional point cloud model. The missing data part determining unit determines whether the found missing data part has a predetermined specific shape. The reflection object position calculator calculates three-dimensional coordinates of the missing data part that is determined as having the specific shape.

Point cloud data that is missed due to an optical reflection object in measuring point cloud data using a laser scanner is used. A reflection object position calculating device includes a point cloud data receiving unit, a three-dimensional point cloud model generating unit, a missing data part searching unit, a missing data part determining unit, and a reflection object position calculator. The point cloud data receiving unit receives point cloud data. The three-dimensional point cloud model generating unit generates a three-dimensional point cloud model from the received point cloud data. The missing data part searching unit searches for a missing data part of the generated three-dimensional point cloud model. The missing data part determining unit determines whether the found missing data part has a predetermined specific shape. The reflection object position calculator calculates three-dimensional coordinates of the missing data part that is determined as having the specific shape.