• Journal of the Korea Society of Computer and Information
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2013

In this paper, we propose a CUDA(Common Unified Device Architecture) based SW(software) design method for CPU(Central Processing Unit) and GPU(Graphic Processing Unit) parallel structure to implement real-time process in 3D Laser ladar(LADAR) imaging system. LADAR is a complex system to generate 3-dimensional image based on the laser ranging information, and requires massive process resources in each phase. Therefore, designing and implementing parallel structure are crucial to realize a real-time process within limited system resource. As a conclusion, we can meet the speed of required real-time process allocating separable work load to CUDA GPU by analyzing process algorithm in each phase and confirm the process speed increase by 46%.

• Journal of Korean Society for Geospatial Information Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.87-95
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• 2008

Ladar (Laser Detection And Ranging, Lidar) is a sensor to acquire precise distances to the surfaces of target region using laser signals, which can be suitably applied to ATD (Automatic Target Detection) for guided missiles or aerial vehicles recently. It provides a range image in which each measured distance is expressed as the brightness of the corresponding pixel. Since the precise 3D models can be generated from the Ladar range image, more robust identification and recognition of the targets can be possible. If we simulate the data of Ladar sensor, we can efficiently use this simulator to design and develop Ladar sensors and systems and to develop the data processing algorithm. The purposes of this study are thus to simulate the signals of a Ladar sensor based on linear frequency modulation and to create range images from the simulated Ladar signals. We first simulated the laser signals of a Ladar using FM chirp modulator and then computed the distances from the sensor to a target using the FFT process of the simulated signals. Finally, we created the range image using the distances set.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.733-742
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• 2017

LADARs are used for important sensors in various applications, for example, terrain information sensors in self driving cars, safety sensors for factory automation, and 3D map constructions. This study develop important component technologies to improve the performance of a LADAR system under development in Korea. The component technologies include diode temperature regulation, reducing distance error in outdoor environment, and signal processing technique for better detection of distant objects. This paper explains the suggested component technologies and experimental results of the developed LADAR system. Also, the developed system is operated and tested an a single axis driving platform to acquire 3D information from 2D LADAR.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute Of Construction Engineering and Management
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• 2007.11a
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• pp.909-914
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• 2007

Today's dynamic nature of the construction environment requires management systems to be active enough to take real-time decisions. For real-time decision making, effective 3D spatial information acquisition is imperative. Various 3D data acquisition technologies are being developed and tested for 3D spatial information acquisition and its use for wide range of areas in the construction industry, however, there are shortcomings in these technologies. The major problems are long processing time and high cost which make current technologies impossible to be used for real-time applications. Laser-based Flash LADAR that illuminates the entire scene with diffuse laser light is comparatively fast and cost effective, therefore it is well suited for 3D spatial modeling of dynamic environment on a construction site. This paper presents experimental results to evaluate the performance of flash LADAR and discuss issues of applicability of Flash LADAR to 3D spatial modeling on a construction site.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.1 no.6
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• pp.598-603
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• 2017

Traditional three-dimensional (3-D) laser imaging systems are based on real aperture imaging technology, whose resolution decreases as the range increases. In this paper, we develop a novel 3-D imaging technique based on the synthetic aperture technology in which the imaging resolution is significantly improved and does not degrade with the increase of the range. We consider an imaging laser radar (ladar) system using the floodlight transmitting mode and multi-beam receiving mode. High 3-D imaging resolutions are achieved by matched filtering the linear frequency modulated (LFM) signals respectively in range, synthetic aperture along-track, and the real aperture across-track. In this paper, a novel 3-D imaging signal model is given first. Because of the motion during the transmission of a sweep, the Doppler shift induced by the continuous motion is taken into account. And then, a proper algorithm for the 3-D imaging geometry is given. Finally, simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed technique.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2005.10a
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• pp.539-543
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• 2005

The research presented in this paper enables real-time 3D modeling to help make construction processes ultimately faster, more predictable and safer. Initial research efforts used an emerging sensor technology and proved its usefulness in the acquisition of range information for the detection and efficient representation of static and moving objects. Based on the time-of-flight principle, the sensor acquires range and intensity information of each image pixel within the entire sensor's field-of-view in real-time with frequencies of up to 30 Hz. However, real-time working range data processing algorithms need to be developed to rapidly process range information into meaningful 3D computer models. This research ultimately focuses on the application of safer heavy equipment operation. The paper compares (a) a previous research effort in convex hull modeling using sparse range point clouds from a single laser beam range finder, to (b) high-frame rate update Flash LADAR (Laser Detection and Ranging) scanning for complete scene modeling. The presented research will demonstrate if the FlashLADAR technology can play an important role in real-time modeling of infrastructure assets in the near future.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2017.05a
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• pp.387-390
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• 2017

With the advent of high-resolution sensors in the embedded field, the demand for heterogeneous computing continues to increase. Logic Module is an embedded system for controlling LADAR system components and for real-time 3D imaging of laser radar image data. In this paper, we discuss the design of Logic Module and the signal processing using CPU-GPU heterogeneous computing.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.687-698
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• 2012

LADAR systems can rapidly acquire 3D point clouds by sampling the target surfaces using laser pulses. Such point clouds are widely used for diverse applications such as DSM/DTM generation, forest biomass estimation, target detection, wire avoidance and so on. Many kinds of LADAR systems have been developed with their respective purposes and applications. Particularly, Geiger mode imaging LADAR systems are increasingly utilized since they are energy efficient thank to extremely sensitive detectors incorporated into the systems. The purpose of this research is the performance assessment of a Geiger mode imaging LADAR system based on simulation with the real system parameters. We thus developed a simulation method of such a LADAR system by modeling its geometric, radiometric, optic and electronic aspects. Based on the simulation, we performed the performance assessment of a newly designed system to derive the outlier ratio and false alarm rate expected during its operation in almost real environment with reasonable system parameters. The proposed simulation and performance assessment method will be effectively utilized for system design and optimization, and test data generation.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Military Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.90-95
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• 2014

The system design and the system performance analysis of 3D imaging laser radar system for the mapping purpose is addressed in this article. For the mapping, a push-bloom scanning method is utilized. The pulsed fiber laser with high pulse energy and high pulse repetition rate is used for the light source of laser radar system. The high sensitive linear mode InGaAs avalanche photo-diode is used for the laser receiver module. The time-of-flight of laser pulse from the laser to the receiver is calculated by using high speed FPGA based signal processing board. To reduce the walk error of laser pulse regardless of the intensity differences between pulses, the time of flight is measured from peak to peak of laser pulses. To get 3D image with a single pixel detector, Risley scanner which stirs the laser beam in an ellipsoidal pattern is used. The system laser energy budget characteristics is modeled using LADAR equation, from which the system performances such as the pulse detection probability, false alarm and etc. are analyzed and predicted. The test results of the system performances are acquired and compared with the predicted system performance. According to test results, all the system requirements are satisfied. The 3D image which was acquired by using the laser radar system is also presented in this article.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.176-183
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• 2013

In this paper, we report the design, fabrication and characterization of the 3-Dimensional optical receiver for a Laser Detection And Ranging (LADAR) system. The optical receiver is composed of three parts; $16{\pm}16$ Geiger Mode InGaAs Avalanche Photodiode (APD) array device operated at 1560 nm wavelength, Read Out Integrated Circuit (ROIC) measuring the Time-Of-Flight (TOF) of the return signal reflected from target objects, a package and cooler maintaining the proper operational condition of the detector and control electronics. We can confirm that the LADAR system can detect the signal from a target up to 1.2 km away, and it showed low Dark Count Rate (DCR) of less than 140 kHz, and higher than 28%-Photon Detection Efficiency (PDE). This is considered to be the best performance of the $16{\pm}16$ FPA APD optical receiver for a LADAR system.