A Compact In Situ Ranging LiDAR and Performance Evaluation

To capture and process environmental information, a compact lab-built LiDAR is designed and constructed. The lab-built LiDAR utilizes a programmable-scanning-pattern image-space scanner, which is able to satisfy the demands for diverse applications, and a Gauss–Newton (GN) iteration-based in situ ranging system, which is capable of retrieving target distance at high measurement repetition rate. In order to evaluate the angular resolution of the lab-built LiDAR, a trapezoid-fitting method is proposed to quantify the gradually being blurred profile of cubic target, which was validated by the lab-built LiDAR and a commercial LiDAR. Experiments were conducted for the verification of lab-built LiDAR from ranging error, angular error, and angular resolution. The results show that the lab-built LiDAR is able to obtain a target point cloud with a ranging accuracy within [−8, 8] mm, a precision of 4–16 mm, an angular error smaller than 0.26°, and an angular resolution of 6.2 mrad. The proposed LiDAR and evaluation method will benefit hazard detection and avoidance in aerospace applications.