Waymo LLC

David Gordon Duff

Blaise Gassend

Paul Karplus

Michael Brickner

Ryan Davis

Alex Rivas

Pierre-yves Droz

YooJung Ahn

Joshua Newby

Jason Paul Watson

Candace Marbury

Ralph Hamilton Shepard

Hui Seong Son

John P Massey

Alexander Meade

Darren Xinhang Chen

Pierre-Yves Droz

Yeh-Jiun Tung

Alex Bogatko

Michael Hall-Snyder

Glenn Wheelock

Hugh Ross

An example lidar system includes a housing defining an interior space. The housing includes at least one optical window. The lidar system also includes a rotatable mirror assembly disposed within the interior space. The rotatable mirror assembly includes a transmit mirror portion and a receive mirror portion. The lidar system additionally includes a transmitter disposed within the interior space. The transmitter is configured to emit emission light into an environment of the lidar system along a transmit path. The lidar system also includes a receiver disposed within the interior space. The receiver is configured to detect return light that is received from the environment along a receive path. The lidar system additionally includes at least one optical baffle configured to minimize stray light in the interior space.

Split window and baffling

The present disclosure relates to systems and methods that involve a rotatable mirror assembly. An example system includes a shaft configured to rotate about a rotational axis. A portion of the shaft can be tapered, either in a stepped profile or a ramped profile. In the surface of the shaft can be one or more circumferentially-indented grooves. The system also includes a mirror body coupled to the tapered shaft via the at least one circumferentially-indented groove. The mirror body is configured to have a polygonal cross-section, and reflective surfaces can be disposed along at least one external surface of the mirror body. Example methods of manufacturing the rotatable mirror assembly are also disclosed.

Tapered mirror shaft

The present disclosure relates to devices, lidar systems, and vehicles that include optical redirectors. An example lidar system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes at least one light-emitter device configured to transmit emission light into an environment of the lidar system. The receiver is configured to detect return light from the environment and includes a plurality of apertures, a plurality of photodetectors, and a plurality of optical redirectors. Each optical redirector is configured to optically couple a respective portion of return light from a respective aperture to at least one photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors. At least one of the optical redirectors includes an optically isolating coating.

Optical redirector device

The present disclosure relates to optical devices and systems, specifically those related to light detection and ranging (LIDAR) systems. An example device includes a shaft defining a rotational axis. The shaft includes a first material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The device also includes a rotatable mirror disposed about the shaft. The rotatable mirror includes a multi-sided structure having an exterior surface and an interior surface. The multi-sided structure includes a second material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The second coefficient of thermal expansion is different from the first coefficient of thermal expansion. The multi-sided structure also includes a plurality of reflective surfaces disposed on the exterior surface of the multi-sided structure. The multi-sided structure yet further includes one or more support members coupled to the interior surface and the shaft.

Mirror coupling

Example embodiments relate to wiper devices for cleaning sensor housings. An example embodiment includes a wiper device for cleaning a surface of a rotatable sensor housing. The wiper device may have a driving arm having a first end and a second end. The first end of the driving arm is connected to a rotatable shaft. The wiper device may also have a wiper arm pivotally connected to the second end of the driving arm. The pivotal connection is located between a front region and a rear region of the wiper arm. Further, the wiper device may have a wiper blade coupled to the front region of the wiper arm. The wiper blade may be configured to wipe the surface of the rotatable sensor housing. Additionally, the wiper device may have a counterweight coupled to the rear region of the wiper arm.

Wiper devices for sensor housings

The present disclosure relates to systems and devices having a rotatable mirror assembly. An example system includes a housing and a rotatable mirror assembly. The rotatable mirror assembly includes a plurality of reflective surfaces, a shaft defining a rotational axis, and a mirror body coupling the plurality of reflective surfaces to the shaft. The mirror body includes a plurality of flexible support members. The rotatable mirror assembly also includes a coupling bracket configured to removably couple the rotatable mirror assembly to the housing. The system also includes a transmitter configured to emit emission light into an environment of the system after interacting with at least one reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces. The system additionally includes a receiver configured to detect return light from the environment after interacting with the at least one reflective surface of the plurality of reflective surfaces.

Rotatable mirror device

Sensor housing

The present disclosure relates to devices, lidar systems, and vehicles that include optical redirectors. An example lidar system includes a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter includes at least one light-emitter device configured to transmit emission light into an environment of the lidar system. The receiver is configured to detect return light from the environment and includes a plurality of apertures, a plurality of photodetectors, and a plurality of optical redirector elements. Each optical redirector element is configured to optically couple a respective portion of return light from a respective aperture to at least one photodetector of the plurality of photodetectors.

Aspects of the technology employ sensors having high speed rotating mirror assemblies. For instance, the sensors may be Lidar sensors configured to detect people and other objects in an area of interest. A given mirror assembly may have a triangular or other geometric cross-sectional shape. The reflective faces of the mirror assembly may connect along edges or corners. In order to minimize wind drag and torque issues, the corners are rounded, filleted, beveled, chamfered or otherwise truncated. Such truncation may extend the length of the mirror side. The mirror assembly may employ one or more beam stops, light baffles and/or acoustic/aerodynamic baffles. These sensors may be employed with self-driving or manual driven vehicles or other equipment. The sensors may also be used in and around buildings.

Growing community of inventors

Mountain View, CA, United States of America

David Gordon Duff