The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.

Harvard College

Spector, Steven J.

Byrnes, Steven J.

Moebius, Michael G.

Michael G Moebius

Steven Jay Spector

Steven J Byrnes

Benjamin F Lane

Gregg E Favalora

Lucas David Benney

Julian A Brown

Joseph J Register

Ian Ward Frank

Hannah Anne Clevenson

Alan X Zhou

Juha-Pekka J Laine

Eugene H Cook

Jonathan Jay Bernstein

Eric Mazur

Jeffrey A Korn

Matthew A Sinclair

Anthony Kopa

Francis J Rogomentich

Robin M A Dawson

Scott Lennox

Dennis M Callahan, Jr

Christopher Bessette

Christopher Courtney Evans

Orad Reshef

Dennis M Callahan

Sarah E Griesse-Nascimento

Robin Mark Adrian Dawson

Valerie J Bloomfield

Hongmei Zhang

Peter H Lewis

Sean P O'Connor

A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern in a way that reduces risk of eye injury from the laser light.

Beam scanning methods for improved eye safety in LiDAR systems

A LiDAR system includes an array of optical emitters, an objective lens optically coupling each optical emitter to a respective unique portion of a field of view, an optical switching network coupled between a laser and the array of optical emitters and a controller coupled to the optical switching network and configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a dynamically varying temporal pattern and to vary the temporal pattern based at least in part on distance to an object within the field of view. The LiDAR system scans different portions of the field of view differently, such as with different laser power levels, different revisit rates and/or different scan patterns, for example based on likelihood of detecting objects of interest in the various portions or based on likely relative importance of objects likely to be found in the various portions.

Adaptive LiDAR scanning techniques for improved frame rate and safety

An antenna system has a two-dimensional field of view, yet can be implemented on a surface, such as on electronic or photonic integrated circuits. The antenna system includes an array of antennas disposed in a predetermined non-linear pattern and a two-dimensional beamforming network (BFN). The antenna system can be steered/selectively beamformed in two dimensions through beam port selection. The beamforming network is disposed entirely on a single first surface. The beamforming network has a one-dimensional array-side interface disposed on the first surface and a one-dimensional beam-side interface disposed on the first surface. The antennas of the array of antennas are individually communicably coupled to the array-side interface. Segments of the beam-side interface map to respective pixels in the two-dimensional field of view.

Two-dimensional planar and crossover-free beamforming network architecture

A LiDAR system includes a light source and an arrayed micro-optic configured to receive light from the light source so as to produce and project a two-dimensional array of light spots on a scene. The LiDAR system also includes receiver optics having an array of optical detection sites configured so as to be suitable for establishing a one-to-one correspondence between light spots in the two-dimensional array and optical detection sites in the receiver optics. The LiDAR system further includes a beamsplitter and a lens. The LiDAR system may also include a mask placed in the light path between the beamsplitter and the receiver optics. Alternatively, the LiDAR system may include a controller programmed to activate or deactivate each optical detection site.

Beamsplitter architecture for monostatic LiDAR

A LiDAR system includes a light source and an arrayed micro-optic configured to receive light from the light source so as to produce and project a two-dimensional array of light spots on a scene. The LiDAR system also includes receiver optics having an array of optical detection sites configured so as to be suitable for establishing a one-to-one correspondence between light spots in the two-dimensional array and optical detection sites in the receiver optics. The LiDAR system further includes a birefringent prism and a lens. The LiDAR system may also include a mask placed in the light path between the birefringent prism and the receiver optics. Alternatively, the LiDAR system may include a controller programmed to activate or deactivate each optical detection site.

Monostatic LiDAR transceiver system

A LiDAR system emits single mode light from a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) and is capable of receiving a different mode light, or multiple modes of light, into the PIC. Objects in the LiDAR's field of view may reflect light with a mode different from the mode of the light that illuminated the objects. Thus, in some embodiments, a single-mode optical waveguide, a single-mode-multi-mode optical junction, a multi-mode optical waveguide and an array of optical emitters on the PIC are configured to emit into free space light of a single mode from each optical emitter of the array of optical emitters. The multi-mode optical waveguide and the array of optical emitters are configured to receive from the free space light of a mode different from the single mode, or multiple modes, and to couple the light of the different mode or multiple modes into the multi-mode optical waveguide.

Multi-mode signal LiDAR collection methods and systems

A compressive/transform imager comprising a lens array positioned above input ports for collecting light into the input ports, waveguides routing the light from the input port to waveguide mixing regions (e.g. multi-mode interference couplers), and detectors for receiving outputs of the waveguide mixing regions.

Multi-mode interference coupler-based flat compressive and transform imager

A LiDAR system has a field of view and includes a polarization-based waveguide splitter. The splitter includes a first splitter port, a second splitter port and a common splitter port. A laser is optically coupled to the first splitter port via a single-polarization waveguide. An objective lens optically couples each optical emitter of an array of optical emitters to a respective unique portion of the field of view. An optical switching network is coupled via respective dual-polarization waveguides between the common splitter port and the array of optical emitters. An optical receiver is optically coupled to the second splitter port via a dual-polarization waveguide and is configured to receive light reflected from the field of view. A controller, coupled to the optical switching network, is configured to cause the optical switching network to route light from the laser to a sequence of the optical emitters according to a temporal pattern.

Dual-polarization LiDAR systems and methods

An electro-holographic light field generator device is disclosed. The light field generator device has an optical substrate with a waveguide face and an exit face. One or more surface acoustic wave (SAW) optical modulator devices are included within each light field generator device. The SAW devices each include a light input, a waveguide, and a SAW transducer, all configured for guided mode confinement of input light within the waveguide. A leaky mode deflection of a portion of the waveguided light, or diffractive light, impinges upon the exit face. Multiple output optics at the exit face are configured for developing from each of the output optics a radiated exit light from the diffracted light for at least one of the waveguides. An RF controller is configured to control the SAW devices to develop the radiated exit light as a three-dimensional output light field with horizontal parallax and compatible with observer vertical motion.

SAW modulators and light steering methods

A light field generator system including a leaky-mode SAW modulator is disclosed. The modulator incorporates at least one optical power component, such as a concave mirror or volume grating having a non-zero diopter rating. In some embodiments, the system incorporates the at least one optical power component by embedding the optical power component within a substrate of the SAW modulator and/or by placing the optical power component upon a surface of the SAW modulator.

Saw modulator having optical power component for extended angular redirection of light

MEMS-actuated optical switches can be implemented on photonic chips. These switches are compact, essentially planar, simple to implement and include only one moving MEMS component per switch. The switches exhibit low optical loss, require low power to operate, and are simple to control and easy to integrate with other optical devices. Each switch has two optical waveguides that are optically coupled in an ON switch state and not coupled in an OFF switch state. An end or a medial section of one of the two waveguides may translate between the ON and OFF states to affect the coupling. Alternatively, a coupling frustrator may translate between the ON and OFF states to affect the coupling.

Optical switch controllable by vertical motion MEMS structure

Acousto-optical modulators, such as a SAW modulators, with telescope arrays and superimposed volume gratings for light field generation are disclosed. These devices can employ pixelated demagnification and have layers of output optics, such as reflective gratings and/or arrays of transmissive refractive or diffractive lenses that manipulate the light emitted by the SAW modulator. In other cases, superimposed volume gratings are used, in which pixilation occurs in angle space.

Telescope arrays and superimposed volume gratings for light field generation

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Somerville, MA, United States of America

Michael G Moebius