A system for use in identifying one of an unmanned ground vehicle and an unmanned aerial vehicle includes a signal emitter associated with the unmanned vehicle. The signal emitter includes at least one quantum cascade laser. The signal emitter emits a signal having a wavelength between approximately 2 μm and approximately 30 μm, and the signal is detectable to identify the unmanned vehicle as friendly at a distance from the signal emitter greater than approximately 1 meter.

To reduce power consumption in an apparatus for measuring a distance on the basis of a phase difference between light beams. A distance measuring apparatus includes: a phase difference detecting section; and a distance measuring section. In the distance measuring apparatus, the phase difference detecting section detects a phase difference between light beams from a pair of external light sources. In addition, in the distance measuring apparatus, the distance measuring section acquires any one of a distance from one of the pair of external light sources and an interval between the pair of external light sources as known data and measures a distance from another of the pair of external light sources on a basis of the known data and the phase difference.

An apparatus of rapid-positioning with curved light surface includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter can emit an optical signal to the receiver. The receiver can receive an optical signal emitted by the transmitter. The apparatus of rapid-positioning with curved light surface determines a position of the receiver according to the optical signal received by the receiver. The transmitter includes: a light emitter capable of emitting optical signals of at least two flicker frequencies; and a hollow hemispherical cover provided with fixed-angle opaque sections and variable-angle opaque sections, and regions between the fixed-angle opaque sections and the variable-angle opaque sections being light transmission regions. Therefore, the apparatus and method of rapid-positioning with curved light surface provided by the present application can accurately position the receiver, and the receiver can be placed on an object surface to receive the optical signal of the transmitter, so as to perform an accurate indoor positioning. Therefore, in an intelligent production environment, a robot can accurately assist to assemble and convey materials and products. The apparatus of rapid-positioning with curved light surface of the present application can perform multiple positioning during one rotation, which can make the positioning faster.

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining position and pose of as well as tracking an object in a physical environment based on the emission and sensing of light signals. The derived position, pose and tracking information may be used in a VR/AR environment. The disclosed systems and methods allow for the improved tracking of both active and passive devices. In addition, the disclosed systems and methods enable an arbitrary number of light sensors to be disposed on an object, thereby increasing accuracy and mitigating the effects of occlusion of certain light sensors. Position and pose estimates may be refined and tracked using a filter lattice responsive to changes in observed system states and/or settings. Further, data received from an inertial measurement unit may be used to increase tracking accuracy as well as position and pose determination itself.

Systems and methods are disclosed for determining position and pose of as well as tracking an object in a physical environment based on the emission and sensing of light signals. The derived position, pose and tracking information may be used in a VR/AR environment. The disclosed systems and methods allow for the improved tracking of both active and passive devices. In addition, the disclosed systems and methods enable an arbitrary number of light sensors to be disposed on an object, thereby increasing accuracy and mitigating the effects of occlusion of certain light sensors. Position and pose estimates may be refined and tracked using a filter lattice responsive to changes in observed system states and/or settings. Further, data received from an inertial measurement unit may be used to increase tracking accuracy as well as position and pose determination itself.

A laser measuring system comprising a laser transmitter and a laser receiver is provided. The laser transmitter includes one or more laser sources for projecting an initial laser pulse and a reflective surface. The laser receiver includes a first reflective surface for reflecting the initial laser pulse to provide a first reflected laser pulse, and a second reflective surface for reflecting the initial laser pulse to provide a second reflected laser pulse. The laser receiver further includes a photo detection unit for receiving 1) a first double reflected laser pulse produced by the first reflected laser pulse reflecting off the reflective surface of the laser transmitter, and 2) a second double reflected laser pulse produced by the second reflected laser pulse reflecting off the reflective surface of the laser transmitter. The laser receiver determines an orientation angle associated with the laser receiver based on the first and second double reflected laser pulse.

A method of grouping together pieces of equipment that are capable of emitting sound signals, the method comprising the steps of: causing each piece of equipment to emit a test sound signal; causing the test sound signal to be received by each piece of equipment that is capable of receiving sound signals, and causing each of these pieces of equipment to evaluate a recognition level for said test sound signal; or each pair of pieces of equipment Ei and Ej, evaluating a mutual recognition level representative both of a recognition level N(i, j) for the piece of equipment Ei receiving a test sound signal emitted by the piece of equipment Ej, and also of a recognition level N(j, i); on the basis of the mutual recognition level, determining whether or not the pieces of equipment Ei and Ej belong to a common sound space.

Techniques are disclosed for facilitating pulse detection and synchronized pulse imaging systems and methods. In one example, a system includes a light pulse detection device and an imaging device. The light pulse detection device is configured to detect a first light pulse. The light pulse detection device is further configured to determine that the first light pulse is associated with a pulse sequence. The light pulse detection device is further configured to determine timing information associated with a second light pulse of the pulse sequence. The light pulse detection device is further configured to generate data associated with the timing information. The imaging device is configured to determine an integration period based on the data. The imaging device is further configured to capture, using the integration period, an image that includes the second light pulse. Related devices and methods are also provided.

Methods, apparatus, and processor-readable storage media for providing positional information via use of distributed sensor arrays are provided herein. An example computer-implemented method includes generating and outputting one or more signals via at least one user identification device associated with a user; processing one or more signals output by at least one of multiple emitting sensors distributed in an array within a given indoor environment, wherein the signals output by the at least one emitting sensor are output in response to the signals output via the at least one user identification device, and wherein a least a portion of the multiple emitting sensors comprises infrared sensors; generating a message based on the processing of the signals output by the at least one emitting sensor, wherein the message pertains to positional information with respect to the given indoor environment; and outputting the generated message.

Orientation and position sensing methods and devices are disclosed. The described methods and devices are based on implementing magneto-electric-quasi-static fields for position and orientation sensing in lossy-dielectric, conducting, or metallic non-line-of-sight environments, where obstructions or occlusions or nearby objects exists that are lossy in nature and that typically perturb radio or electromagnetic wave signaling. Detailed experimental results highlighting the performance of the disclosed methods are also presented.