Disclosed is a system including: a beam projector module comprising a light source and an optical device configured to diffuse light output from the light source to reduce an intensity of the light; an image sensor configured to receive reflected light formed by the light reflected from an object; and a signal processing device configured to measure a distance from the object by analyzing a characteristic of the reflected light, wherein the signal processing device operates the beam projector module in an eye-safety mode when the characteristic of the reflected light corresponds to a crack characteristic.

Methods for use in a spatial profiling system for detecting targets in an environment are described. The methods include detecting first incoming reflected light from an environment and second incoming light from the environment, the second incoming light including reflected noise light from the spatial profiling system. The spatial profile estimation is based on the detected first incoming light and the detected second incoming light. Embodiments of a spatial profiling system configured to operate in accordance with the methods are also described.

A method for scanning a transmitted beam through a 360° FOV in a LIDAR system using no moving parts. The method includes directing a laser beam at a first frequency to an SPPR device and directing the laser beam from the SPPR device onto a conical mirror to direct the laser beam at a certain angle therefrom depending on the first frequency of the laser beam. The method further includes shifting the optical frequency of the laser beam to a second frequency to change the angle that the transmitted beam is directed from the conical mirror and intensity modulating the laser beam at the second frequency using a first intensity modulation frequency for a predetermined period of time. The method further includes receiving a reflected beam from the target and estimating a round trip time of the transmitted beam and the reflected beam using the modulation of the laser beam.

A laser radar device includes: a light source; a mirror rotatable about a rotation shaft to reflect laser light emitted by the light source; a window; and a detector to detect laser light. The mirror has a low reflection area having a lower reflectance than the other region of the mirror, in a state where a mirror surface faces toward the light source, at position adjacent to the light source than the detector in an axial direction of the rotation shaft and adjacent to the window than a region where the laser light emitted by the light source hits for a first time in a radial direction of the rotation shaft. The window has an inclined posture in which a distance from the rotation shaft is shorter at position adjacent to the detector than at position adjacent to the light source.

A detector (110, 1110, 2110) for determining a position of at least one object (112) is proposed. The detector (110, 1110, 2110) comprises: at least one transfer device (128, 1128), wherein the transfer device (128, 1128) has at least one focal length in response to at least one incident light beam (116, 1116) propagating from the object (112, 1112) to the detector (110, 1110, 2110); at least two optical sensors (113, 1118, 1120), wherein each optical sensor (113, 1118, 1120) has at least one light sensitive area (121, 1122, 1124), wherein each optical sensor (113, 1118, 1120) is designed to generate at least one sensor signal in response to an illumination of its respective light-sensitive area by the light beam (116, 1116), at least one evaluation device (132, 1132) being configured for determining at least one longitudinal coordinate z of the object (112, 1112) by evaluating a quotient signal Q from the sensor signals. The detector is adapted to determine the longitudinal coordinate z of the object in at least one measurement range independent from the object size in an object plane.

A laser beam steering system is disclosed. The system includes a laser source which produces a pulsed laser light beam with a frequency comb spectrum, a metasurface configured to i) receive the pulsed laser, ii) generate a diffracted pulsed laser output at different frequencies with a beam at a center frequency normal to the metasurface, and iii) directing light at different frequencies onto different foci at a focal plane, light propagating from the focal plane leads to generation of one or more optical beams that are controlled in space and time.

A light shaping optic may include a substrate. The light shaping optic may include a structure disposed on the substrate, wherein the structure is configured to receive one or more input beams of light with a uniform intensity field and less than a threshold total intensity, and wherein the structure is configured to shape the one or more input beams of light to form one or more output beams of light with a non-uniform intensity field and less than the threshold total intensity.

Disclosed is a Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)-integrated lamp device configured for a vehicle. In the included LiDAR-integrated lamp device, the position at which a head lamp is applied and the position at which a LiDAR is applied are identical and then, a reduction in layout is achieved. Furthermore, through sharing of constituent elements, the number of constituent elements is reduced and then, manufacturing costs are reduced.

A sensor device having a sensor housing and a printed circuit board coupled to the sensor housing. A light emitting device is coupled to the printed circuit board. The light emitting device has an emitter face defining an emission face area. An aperture plate is coupled to the sensor housing, the aperture plate defines an aperture having an aperture area that is less than the emission face area of the emitter face. The aperture is less than 1 mm from the emitter face wherein the light emitting device is not fixed to the aperture plate. A lens is coupled to the sensor housing, having an optical axis extending through the aperture. The aperture plate is positioned between the lens and the emitter face. Boresighting angle variation across sensor components on a manufacturing line may advantageously be reduced without increased cost associated with active alignment. Irradiance drop-out may also be reduced.

A dual mode ladar system includes a laser transmitter having a wavelength of operation and a modulator connected thereto to impose a modulation thereon. The modulator is configured to impose amplitude modulation and/or frequency modulation. Diffusing optics illuminate a field of view and an array of light sensitive detectors each produce an electrical response signal from a reflected portion of the laser light output.