Embodiments of the disclosure provide transmitters for light detection and ranging (LiDAR). The transmitter includes a laser source, a light collimator, and a beam shifter. The laser source is configured to provide a native laser beam. The light collimator is configured to collimate the native laser beam to form an input laser beam transmitting along a lateral direction. The beam shifter is configured to shift the input laser beam along a vertical direction perpendicular to the lateral direction by a displacement to form an output laser beam. The output laser beam and the input laser beam are parallel to each other.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) controller is disclosed. The LIDAR controller may receive cycle segment information identifying a cycle segment of an operation of a machine. The LIDAR controller may determine, based on the cycle segment information, a scan area within a field of view of the LIDAR sensor. The LIDAR controller may cause the LIDAR sensor to capture, with an increased point density relative to a non-scan area within the field of view, LIDAR data associated with the scan area. The LIDAR controller may process the LIDAR data to determine, using the increased point density, a status associated with the operation. The LIDAR controller may perform an action associated with indicating the status associated with the operation.

Systems and methods are provided for constructing, using, and updating the sparse map for autonomous vehicle navigation. A method may comprise processing, by a mapping server, collected navigation information from a plurality of vehicles obtained by sensors coupled to the plurality of vehicles, wherein the navigation information describes road lanes of a road segment; collecting data about landmarks identified proximate to the road segment, the landmarking including a traffic sign; generating, by the mapping server, an autonomous vehicle map for the road segment, wherein the autonomous vehicle map includes a spline corresponding to a lane in the road segment and the landmarks identified proximate to the road segment; and distributing, by the mapping server, the autonomous vehicle map to an autonomous vehicle for use in autonomous navigation over the road segment.

Embodiments herein provide for improved range response in lidar systems. In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a laser, and a detector. First optics direct light from the laser on a beam path along a first optical axis of the first optics. Second optics image the light from the beam path onto a second plane that is substantially normal to the first plane. The second optics have a second optical axis that differs from the first optical axis. The first and the second optical axes lie in a same first plane. A first line in the first plane intersects a second line in the second plane at an acute angle. The first line is perpendicular to the first optical axis. A spatial filter configured in or near the second plane filters the light from the second optics onto the detector.

A distance-measuring system includes: a plurality of light sources; a light source controller that controls the plurality of light sources; an imager that generates a distance image for each reflection light emitted by the plurality of light sources and reflected by a subject; a reliability level output unit that outputs a reliability level for each distance image; and an image compositor that composites a plurality of distance images. The emission areas of the plurality of light sources which emit light at different angles relative to an optical axis of the imager have a common emission area to which light is emitted in common, and the image compositor exclusively selects pixels to be composited from the plurality of distance images for an outside of the common emission area, and determines pixels to be composited based on the reliability level for the common emission area to generate a composite distance image.

A point group data processing device includes: an image data acquisition unit configured to acquire a captured image; a point group data acquisition unit configured to acquire point group data indicating position information of a point group corresponding to a plurality of points included in the image; an area setting unit configured to set a target area which is an area surrounding a subject on the image and an enlargement area which is an area obtained by enlarging the target area; and a target point group specifying unit configured to specify a target point group corresponding to the subject based on depth information of a point group included in the target area and depth information of a point group included in the enlargement area, which are included in the point group data.

Apparatuses and methods for focusing a camera are disclosed. For example, an apparatus may be coupled to a camera for focusing the camera. The apparatus includes a vision sensor coupled to a processor and configured to capture a view. The processor configured to receive a selection of an area of interest in the view. The apparatus further includes a distance measurement unit coupled to the processor and configured to measure a distance to the area of interest for adjusting the camera's focus.

Various embodiments include methods and scanning systems for photonically detecting an object of high-interest having selective wavelength reflection. Various embodiments include sequentially scanning the environment by projecting a coherent pulsed electromagnetic beam of light of a first wavelength. Reflected light of the first coherent beam is received onto a photoelectric detector, which outputs digital intensity data. Various embodiments further include sequentially scanning the environment by projecting a coherent pulsed electromagnetic beam of light of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength. Reflected light of the second coherent beam is received onto a photoelectric detector, which outputs digital intensity data. The intensity of the reflected light of the first wavelength may be compared with the intensity reflected light of the second wavelength, and an alert may be sent to an autonomous vehicle system in response to the intensity difference exceeding a threshold.

A distance-measuring apparatus, a mobile object, a distance-measuring method, and a distance-measuring system. The distance-measuring apparatus and the distance-measuring method include performing matching for a plurality of images obtained by a plurality of imaging devices to convert the plurality of images into first distance information on a pixel-by-pixel basis, emitting a laser beam where at least one of a laser-beam resolution in a horizontal direction and a laser-beam resolution in a vertical direction exceeds two degrees, obtaining a reflected signal obtained when the laser beam is reflected by an object, detecting a peak that corresponds to reflection from the object from the reflected signal, calculating second distance information based on a length of time taken to observe the peak after the laser beam is emitted in the emitting, and integrating the first distance information and the second distance information with each other. The mobile object includes the distance-measuring apparatus.

A light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system includes a laser, a transceiver, and one or more optics. The laser source is configured to generate a beam. The transceiver is configured to transmit the beam as a transmit signal through a transmission waveguide and to receive a return signal reflected by an object through a receiving waveguide. The one or more optics are external to the transceiver and configured to optically change a distance between the transmit signal and the return signal by displacing one of the transmit signal or the return signal.