Software defined multifunction LIDAR

Peter D. Kightley; Matthew J. Croydon

doi:10.1117/12.2326785

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9 October 2018 Software defined multifunction LIDAR

Peter D. Kightley, Matthew J. Croydon

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Proceedings Volume 10796, Electro-Optical Remote Sensing XII; 107960B (2018) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2326785
Event: SPIE Security + Defence, 2018, Berlin, Germany

Abstract

There are many different types of LIDAR instrument serving a multitude of different sensing objectives (range finding, velocimetry, vibrometry and optical communications to name a few) but what they all share in common is the transmission of laser light. What discriminates one sensing modality from another is the manner in which that light is modulated and subsequently demodulated. Traditionally the modulation format has been ‘hard wired’ into the LIDAR instrument, but advances in digital waveform synthesis at useful bandwidths and bit depths combined with telecoms fibre optic technology allow sophisticated optical modulation schemes to be driven from software in real time. Coupled with high bandwidth digitization in the receive chain and real time digital demodulation software, the sensing modality can now be entirely defined and redefined on the fly offering unprecedented active optical sensing flexibility in a single instrument; so-called “Software Defined Multifunction LIDAR” (SDML). This paper presents SDML physical principles, progress to date in the field and discusses potential applications.

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Peter D. Kightley and Matthew J. Croydon "Software defined multifunction LIDAR", Proc. SPIE 10796, Electro-Optical Remote Sensing XII, 107960B (9 October 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2326785

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