This sensor technology is ideally suited for any project requiring very compact, low power, high performance distance measurement sensors, such as drones, robots, or unmanned vehicles.
PulsedLight’s novel signal processing technology enables them to offer a low-cost optical distance measurement solution with performance comparable to systems costing hundreds of dollars.
This optical distance measurement sensor is capable of measuring out to 40 meters using inexpensive, off-the-shelf, electro-optical components. The MiniModule employs the basic principles behind ToF to measure distance. However, a unique signal processing approach has been developed to determine the time delay between an encoded transmit signal and its return.
Project crowdfunding site here: LIDAR-Lite
Comments
Backed it, hope we reach the stretch goal to go laser!
@randy, when would the mission planner support LIDAR. i can feel that 3DR would soon support LIDAR. just to have an idea.
<p>Scratch Nodado, do you think we might need this?
Dennis, I wanted to opt for "Early Adopter Special", the 45$ one but I really can't and getting message "We are sold out of Early Adopter Special. Please choose something else". Is there any way, I could get that ?
I am quite interested in it as it seems to knock out sonars for precision altitude hold of copters and landing for fix wing
Prior to LIDAR, I was thinking of this one (https://www.sparkfun.com/products/8958) but it has maximum distance of 5 feet then I thought of considering replacing the regular IR let inside this sensor with that of a laser led, that could make it quite awesome, even for 20-30mts of precision distance measurement.
I bought this sensor from Sparkfun in 2012 but could not get appropriate IR laser LED. But I think with LIDAR coming in, it would open new era. I want to purchase it from where I can get it, may be now or later ?
Sounds interesting Dennis.
However, SIck showed me there latest TiM 5XX sensor (not out yet), that gave use an amazing 270 deg point cloud, at 15 hz, 15m, cm resolution, inside and out. We tested it yesterday, I will have there demo model is 1-2 weeks to work out software.
Now here comes the real good news, weights 250g, uses 3W, under $1000 :)
Pretty much takes care our of our needs. There single point sensors are cheap, and light weight as well.
Still keep up the good work, and if it's any help, I got 100% wave form recovery at 100W (lowest our laser emit's), at 30 feet, reflecting off concrete, at 30 deg.
Joe,
I would be very interested in the RFI data. Maybe you could do a blog post about it.
Thanks for your comments Dennis, I have already had some success reproducing your work. I used an Arduino, op-amp, PIN diode, diff amp, and my storage scopes.
It was interesting how much of the original waveform I could detect with this 25 minute set up.
I have a 4KW NIR fiber laser (IPG photonics) at work, which I can modulate via software (TCP), so lets see what happens with some power behind it :)
Not 100% convinced, your system will work, given how much reflectivity changes on difference surfaces / angles, but it's very cool work, keep it up !
I would be concerned about cheap TOF solutions, we have units from SICK, that use a 8x8 CMOS matrix, that are only a couple of hundred $$, light weight, and give very good results on all surfaces.
In fact I have a team of SICK engineers coming today, to show us there spinning mirror version of the above, which is also cheap and light (700g with heavy aluminum case, will be much lighter once I 3d print something better).
Either way, cheap solutions to range finding are close for all of us :)
Backed, now the wait for full funding, hope this takes off!
Thanks for the reply Joe (sorry!) I come from a quite exact background so it's interesting to see that 'in the real world' small errors can be handled quite well.
Have you use a variometer to try and take into account thermal effects?
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