3-D imaging laser radars: modelling and experimental results

Summary form only given. Laser radars have the unique capacity to give intensity and full 3-D images of an object. Doppler lidar can give velocity and vibration characteristics of an object. These systems have many civilian and military applications such as terrain modelling, depth sounding, object detection and classification as well as object positioning. There are several laser radar techniques under study using gated viewing, scanning lidars and 3-D sensing focal plane arrays and other scannerless lidar. During the study and experimental evaluation of these systems at FOA we have found it necessary to incorporate a good sensor model to be able to explain and foresee the performance of the system during different operating conditions. Examples of performance parameters are maximum range, range accuracy and range and transverse resolution. We give examples of signal waveforms generated from model different targets calculated by integrating the laser beam profile in space and time over the target including reflection characteristics during different speckle and turbulence conditions. Examples of experimental laser radar data are also given from different type of systems and applications and compared with the results obtained by using the modelled waveforms and receiver characteristic. The result is of help when designing and using new laser radar systems. The importance of different types of signal processing of the waveform in order to fulfil the performance goals is shown.