Researchers develop a High-resolution Long-distance 3D Laser Scanner

Led by Professor Gerald Buller from the School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, a group of physicists at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland have developed a new time-of-flight (ToF) 3D camera system that is capable of capturing laser pulses from so-called “uncooperative” objects (objects that don’t properly reflect laser light).

The scanner is capable of capturing millimeter precise images from a distance of one kilometer (or just a bit over a half-mile). This is really amazing! Eventually, the research team believes that the camera’s range will extend ten times as far.

The primary planned usage of the system is to scan static, human-made objects, like vehicles. But the researchers add that with some modification to the existing  image-processing software, the system can also be used to determine the speed and direction. The scanner seems to be good at identifying objects hidden behind clutter, say, foliage. But it was unable to render human faces, since the human skin does not bounce back the transmitted photons to obtain a depth measurement.

The whole idea can be used for even more scientific purposes, like remote examination of the health, volume of vegetation and movement of rock faces. Dr Aongus McCarthy, Research Fellow at Heriot-Watt University says,“It is clear that the system would have to be miniaturised and made more rugged, but we believe that a lightweight, fully portable scanning depth imager is possible and could be a product in less than five years.” ‘