A coaxial lidar system includes one or more emitter channels and one or more sensor channels that share an optical module. A diffractive waveguide can be used to redirect received light from the shared optical module to the sensor channels.

A sensor apparatus includes a sensor having a field of view, a sensor window through which the field of view extends; an air nozzle positioned to direct airflow across the sensor window; a surface fixed relative to the sensor window, the surface including a plurality of heat-dissipation fins; and a cover extending over the fins and including an inlet. The inlet is positioned at an opposite edge of the sensor window from the air nozzle. The air nozzle is aimed at the inlet.

A sensor apparatus includes a sensor having a field of view, a sensor window through which the field of view extends; an air nozzle positioned to direct airflow across the sensor window; a surface fixed relative to the sensor window, the surface including a plurality of heat-dissipation fins; and a cover extending over the fins and including an inlet. The inlet is positioned at an opposite edge of the sensor window from the air nozzle. The air nozzle is aimed at the inlet.

A LIDAR system, comprising: (a) a plurality of anchored LIDAR sensing units, each anchored LIDAR sensing unit comprising at least: (i) a housing; (ii) at least one detector, mounted in the housing, configured to detect light signals arriving from objects in a field of view of the anchored LIDAR sensing unit; and (iii) a communication unit, configured to output detection information which is based on outputs of the at least one detector and which is indicative of existence of the objects; and (b) at least one integratory processing unit, configured to receive the detection information from two or more of the plurality of anchored LIDAR sensing units, and to process the received detection information to provide a three dimensional model of a scene which is larger than any of the field of views of the independent anchored LIDAR sensing units.

A LIDAR system, comprising: (a) a plurality of anchored LIDAR sensing units, each anchored LIDAR sensing unit comprising at least: (i) a housing; (ii) at least one detector, mounted in the housing, configured to detect light signals arriving from objects in a field of view of the anchored LIDAR sensing unit; and (iii) a communication unit, configured to output detection information which is based on outputs of the at least one detector and which is indicative of existence of the objects; and (b) at least one integratory processing unit, configured to receive the detection information from two or more of the plurality of anchored LIDAR sensing units, and to process the received detection information to provide a three dimensional model of a scene which is larger than any of the field of views of the independent anchored LIDAR sensing units.

Apparatus and method for enhancing resolution in a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. In some embodiments, an emitter is configured to emit a first beam of light pulses over a baseline, first field of view (FoV). Responsive to an activation signal, a controller circuit directs the emitter to concurrently interleave a second beam of light pulses over a second FoV within the first FoV. The first and second beams may be provided at different resolutions and frame rates, and may have pulses with different waveform characteristics to enable decoding using separate detection channels. The interlaced beams provide variable scanning of particular areas of interest within the baseline FoV. The second beam may be activated based on range information obtained from the first beam, or from an external sensor. Separate light sources operative at different wavelengths can be used to generate the first and second beams.

Apparatus and method for enhancing resolution in a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) system. In some embodiments, an emitter is configured to emit a first beam of light pulses over a baseline, first field of view (FoV). Responsive to an activation signal, a controller circuit directs the emitter to concurrently interleave a second beam of light pulses over a second FoV within the first FoV. The first and second beams may be provided at different resolutions and frame rates, and may have pulses with different waveform characteristics to enable decoding using separate detection channels. The interlaced beams provide variable scanning of particular areas of interest within the baseline FoV. The second beam may be activated based on range information obtained from the first beam, or from an external sensor. Separate light sources operative at different wavelengths can be used to generate the first and second beams.

Offset illumination using multiple emitters in a fluorescence imaging system is described. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The emitter comprises a first emitter and a second emitter for emitting different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 770 nm to about 790 nm.

Offset illumination using multiple emitters in a fluorescence imaging system is described. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The emitter comprises a first emitter and a second emitter for emitting different wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 770 nm to about 790 nm.

The technology disclosed relates to determining positional information of an object in a field of view. In particular, it relates to measuring, using a light sensitive sensor, one or more differences in an intensity of returning light that is (i) emitted from respective directionally oriented non-coplanar light sources of a plurality of directionally oriented light sources that have at least some overlapping fields of illumination and (ii) reflected from the target object as the target object moves through a region of space monitored by the light sensitive sensor, and recognizing signals in response to (i) positional information of the target object determined based on, a first position in space at a first time t0 and a second position in space at a second time t1 sensed using the measured one or more differences in the intensity of the returning light and (ii) a non-coplanar movement of the target object.