Asynchronous Active 3D Imaging

Recent advances in LiDAR, detector, and airborne systems technology have opened the door to small, high-performance, and significantly lower-cost alternatives over currently deployed airborne LiDAR imaging systems. CSLabs’ proposed initiative leverages modeling and simulation (M&S) to evaluate the efficacy of new approaches with the potential to disrupt the existing LiDAR imaging paradigm. Where, candidate solutions employ low-cost LiDAR system components capable of functioning asynchronously while being deployed in bi/multi-static configurations to support existing and novel concepts of operations. Relaxing the physical coupling and communication constraint currently levied on conventional active imaging system implementations has the potential to enable the design and implementation of revolutionary active imaging system architectures, characterized by reduced size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C); increased per pulse detection efficiency, through transmitter/detector diversity; and support of new concepts of operations that increase detection opportunities and survivability. An evaluation is required to determine the feasibility and efficiency of potential techniques to implement in-situ cooperation between independently mobile, discrete active imaging components. To implement a bi/multi-static configuration requires a high-degree of collaborating to ensure synchronization between Tx and Rx pairs as well as efficient image reconstruction functionality.