THERE ARE VARIOUS METHODS PRESENTLY IN USE FOR ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCES INVOLVING LASER TECHNOLOGY.

THERE ARE VARIOUS METHODS PRESENTLY IN USE FOR ACCURATE MEASUREMENT OF DISTANCES INVOLVING LASER TECHNOLOGY. THESE DEVICES, INTERFEROMETERS, USE COHERENT LIGHT WAVES TO INTERPRET DISTANCES. MEASUREMENT IS QUITE PRECISE; HOWEVER, THE UNIT IS COSTLY AND MUCH MORE PRECISE THAN MANY APPLICATIONS REQUIRE. THEY ARE ALSO BULKY, DIFFICULT TO IMPLEMENT, AND USUALLY DESIGNED FOR OPERATION IN A FIXED POSITION. THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MORE PRACTICAL AND SIGNIFICANTLY LESS EXPENSIVE MEASURING DEVICE USING LASER TECHNOLOGY IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE UPON THESE INTERFEROMETERS. OPTIMA PROPOSESA UNIT THAT INCORPORATES A LASER WHICH PRODUCES MODULATED LIGHT WAVES.THIS MODULATED LIGHT WOULD BE DIRECTED AT A TARGET OBJECT. THE OBJECT WOULD REFLECT THIS LIGHT BACK TO A BEAM SPLITTER, WHERE THE RETURNED MODULATION WOULD TRAVEL TO A PHOTOCELL. THE PHASE OF THE RETURNED LIGHT WOULD BE PROCESSED THROUGH A PHASE COMPARATOR. THE RESULT OF THIS PROCESS WOULD BE A DC VOLTAGE WHICH WOULD THEN BE DIGITIZED USING AN A/D CONVERTER AND THE DISTANCE DISPLAYED ON A LED OR LCD DISPLAY. A SIMPLE MICROPROCESSOR WOULD CONTROL DISPLAY FUNCTIONS, TEMPERATURE COMPENSATION, AND NORMALIZE ANY PHASE NON-LINEARITY.