Advanced LiDAR Applications in Environmental Protection

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) use virtual bumpers to enhance obstacle avoidance and navigation. LiDAR and camera sensors detect objects around the AV, and the sensor data is analyzed by a secondary computing system to create virtual bumpers around the vehicle. These virtual bumpers provide a buffer zone for obstacle avoidance and facilitate navigation in tight spaces.

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A dam slope deformation monitoring system and method that uses multiple sensors and technologies to continuously monitor and warn of dam slope collapses. The system uses UAV photogrammetry, ground-based radar interferometry, LiDAR scanning, GPS positioning, and micro-core piles to monitor dams from slow deformation to rapid deformation and collapse. It involves progressively focused monitoring from wide area to key areas to particles, and from 2D surface to 3D displacement.

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Method of directing outgoing light in a LiDAR system to maximize utilization of the aperture size regardless of the number of angles or directions over which light is directed. This is done by using a beam director with a spectral comb filter that interleaves multiple wavelength channels onto separate ports.

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A method and system for estimating aboveground biomass using an optimal combination of optical and microwave remote sensing data. The system extracts vegetation indexes from optical images, extracts microwave characteristics from SAR data, and combines them to construct an optimal model for aboveground biomass estimation. The combined optical and microwave model provides better accuracy than using either modality alone.

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Method for using sparse 3D point cloud data from LiDAR sensors to detect movement and intrusion in a physical space. It involves detecting movement using single frames of 3D point cloud data without requiring multiple frames or tracking over time. The method involves storing 3D surface points as well as free space locations computed from line-of-sight vectors. When an occupied space location is detected at a point that was previously free space, it indicates movement or intrusion at that location.

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Using lasers and a dual-mode photodetector to detect weather conditions like ice, snow, fog, rain, and clouds. The system illuminates an area with two lasers of different wavelengths. A photodetector senses the reflected light. By comparing the amounts of reflected light at the two wavelengths, the system can detect weather phenomena that have different absorption and reflectance rates for each wavelength.

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Using LiDAR to remotely detect and map hydrocarbon bubbles on the surface of water bodies like lakes and oceans. It involves surveying shallow water environments with LiDAR to detect surface hydrocarbon bubbles for purposes like hydrocarbon exploration and brownfield remediation. The technique leverages LiDAR's ability to measure distance and identify targets by analyzing reflected laser light. The aim is to find optimal hydrocarbon sources or locate contamination by detecting surface bubbles that may contain hydrocarbons.

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Improving solid-state LiDAR systems that use fixed photodetectors to generate 3D maps of the environment for autonomous vehicles. The solid-state LiDAR emits light into the field of view and detects reflected light to determine distances. The improvement involves using both short-range and long-range fields of view to generate the 3D map. This makes it easier to distinguish long-range reflections from short-range reflections so they don't influence each other's distance measurements.

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Spaceborne Doppler LiDAR instrument to measure the sodium layer and composition of Earth's mesosphere. The instrument uses a tunable laser to remotely sense the mesosphere's sodium layer to study the structure, dynamics, and energetics of the region. The sodium measurements can provide information on atmospheric gravity waves and meteor impacts.

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A system for detecting pollution on or at a sea surface that mounts on a marine vessel to provide lower-cost environmental pollution data for an area at sea compared to airplanes or satellites. The system uses LiDAR, positioning data, and a timestamp to detect and record pollution along the vessel's path. The pollution data is encrypted and stored for analysis.

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Decorative exterior trim panels for mounting sensors like LiDAR on vehicles. The trim panels house sensors while providing protection and an aesthetically-pleasing appearance. The panels have a base portion that attaches to the vehicle and a protruding sensor housing portion. The sensor housing houses the sensor and extends out from the base. The housing has a curved window. This allows sensors like LiDAR to protrude for an unobstructed view while being recessed and protected. The trim panels can be rocker panels, front/rear fascias, or side panels.

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Lidar system where a ground-based laser beam is directed at an overhead reflector that reflects the beam to a target area. Light reflected from the target area is detected by an overhead sensor.

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Using multiple variations of LIDAR sensors with different hardware, software, algorithms, and processing units to provide redundancy and fault tolerance in autonomous vehicle perception systems. The sensors produce dissimilar LIDAR measurements that are processed independently. If a sensor or processing unit fails or degrades, the other combinations can still provide reliable data.

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