A planning tool plans movement of a boring tool for an underground drilling operation. The planning tool includes one or more wheels for rolling on a surface of the ground along a path responsive to movement by an operator to characterize the surface contour and to generate guidance for the boring tool to reach a target position. Planning can additionally be based on waypoints. The planning tool can be rolled unidirectionally or bidirectionally to characterize the surface contour. Bidirectional movement cancels accelerometer fixed bias. Path stitching is used to plan around obstacles. The planning tool can facilitate tracker placement. The planning tool can collect noise information for frequency selection purposes. A described technique maximizes linear drilling in an underground plan. Compensation and/or warnings are provided for unsteady, fast and slow movement of the planning tool while measuring the surface contour.

A planning tool plans movement of a boring tool for an underground drilling operation. The planning tool includes one or more wheels for rolling on a surface of the ground along a path responsive to movement by an operator to characterize the surface contour and to generate guidance for the boring tool to reach a target position. Planning can additionally be based on waypoints. The planning tool can be rolled unidirectionally or bidirectionally to characterize the surface contour. Bidirectional movement cancels accelerometer fixed bias. Path stitching is used to plan around obstacles. The planning tool can facilitate tracker placement. The planning tool can collect noise information for frequency selection purposes. A described technique maximizes linear drilling in an underground plan. Compensation and/or warnings are provided for unsteady, fast and slow movement of the planning tool while measuring the surface contour.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to passive ranging of objects by using relative positional relation of the object to a coded aperture ranged object. A first range to a first object is determined via a coded-aperture ranging system based on a point spread function optimization of an image of the first object. The terrain surface between the first object and a second object is mapped via a 3D polarimetry system. A second range to the second object is then calculated via a range calculator based on the first range and the terrain surface between the first object and the second object.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to passive ranging of objects by using relative positional relation of the object to a coded aperture ranged object. A first range to a first object is determined via a coded-aperture ranging system based on a point spread function optimization of an image of the first object. The terrain surface between the first object and a second object is mapped via a 3D polarimetry system. A second range to the second object is then calculated via a range calculator based on the first range and the terrain surface between the first object and the second object.

In an unmanned system for monitoring lateral deformation of a landslide based on inertial measurement, a deformable coupling pipeline is disposed in a landslide mass. An unmanned trajectory tracer is provided with a battery, a motor wheel, an inertial sensor, and a single chip microcomputer that are electrically connected. The single chip microcomputer controls the motor wheel to drive the unmanned trajectory tracer to move back and forth in the deformable coupling pipeline. The single chip microcomputer controls the inertial sensor to measure a shape of the deformable coupling pipeline. Two monitoring piers are disposed at two ends of the deformable coupling pipeline respectively. The monitoring pier is provided with a GPS device and a communication device, the communication device is in communication connection with the single chip microcomputer, and the single chip microcomputer obtains the shape of the deformable coupling pipeline and sends to the communication device.

A planning tool plans movement of a boring tool for an underground drilling operation. The planning tool includes one or more wheels for rolling on a surface of the ground along a path responsive to movement by an operator to characterize the surface contour and to generate guidance for the boring tool to reach a target position. Planning can additionally be based on waypoints. The planning tool can be rolled unidirectionally or bidirectionally to characterize the surface contour. Bidirectional movement cancels accelerometer fixed bias. Path stitching is used to plan around obstacles. The planning tool can facilitate tracker placement. The planning tool can collect noise information for frequency selection purposes. A described technique maximizes linear drilling in an underground plan. Compensation and/or warnings are provided for unsteady, fast and slow movement of the planning tool while measuring the surface contour.

The present disclosure provides a method of measuring discrete locations around a perimeter of a pool, the method comprising positioning a laser measurement device at a reference point; aiming the laser measurement device at a discrete location of interest; determining the geometrical position and location of the discrete location of interest relative to the reference point; and storing the geometrical position and location of the discrete location of interest in a database.

A planning tool plans movement of a boring tool for an underground drilling operation. The planning tool includes one or more wheels for rolling on a surface of the ground along a path responsive to movement by an operator to characterize the surface contour and to generate guidance for the boring tool to reach a target position. Planning can additionally be based on waypoints. The planning tool can be rolled unidirectionally or bidirectionally to characterize the surface contour. Bidirectional movement cancels accelerometer fixed bias. Path stitching is used to plan around obstacles. The planning tool can facilitate tracker placement. The planning tool can collect noise information for frequency selection purposes. A described technique maximizes linear drilling in an underground plan. Compensation and/or warnings are provided for unsteady, fast and slow movement of the planning tool while measuring the surface contour.

The disclosed subject matter relates to a laser scanner for scanning a ground from a seaborne or airborne vehicle, comprising a scanning unit for emitting a fan-shaped scan pattern made of laser beams fanned out about a scan axis and for receiving the laser beams reflected off the ground and an evaluation unit connected to the scanning unit for evaluating the laser beams that are received. The laser scanner is characterized by a measuring unit that is designed to measure the height of the vehicle above ground, and an actuation device that can be anchored to the vehicle and that is connected to the measuring unit. The actuation device is designed to rotate the fan-shaped scan pattern of the scanning unit with respect to the vehicle about a first actuation axis that is different from the scan axis, depending on the measured height above the ground.

The disclosed subject matter relates to a laser scanner for scanning a ground from a seaborne or airborne vehicle, comprising a scanning unit for emitting a fan-shaped scan pattern made of laser beams fanned out about a scan axis and for receiving the laser beams reflected off the ground and an evaluation unit connected to the scanning unit for evaluating the laser beams that are received. The laser scanner is characterized by a measuring unit that is designed to measure the height of the vehicle above ground, and an actuation device that can be anchored to the vehicle and that is connected to the measuring unit. The actuation device is designed to rotate the fan-shaped scan pattern of the scanning unit with respect to the vehicle about a first actuation axis that is different from the scan axis, depending on the measured height above the ground.