Special FRC Seminar noon, Wednesday, October 4 - A High Speed Lidar Video Camera

Title: A High Speed Lidar Video Camera

Speakers: Dr. Dirk Langer and Dr. Jim O'Neill

Date: Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Time: Noon
Location: NSH 1109

Abstract:

Accurately capturing the geometry of an environment or distinct objects
within that environment is an important task for many fields of industrial
automation, security and military applications. The classical computer
vision approach uses passive techniques such as stereovision, photogrammetry
or motion stereo. However, those techniques are not yet sufficiently
reliable or fast enough to be used in many applications, most notably
real-time systems. Active sensors, which generate the illumination
themselves instead of using only the ambient light, are a viable alternative
to passive sensors. These sensors feature direct access to corresponding
range and visual image information in real-time.

In this presentation, we will introduce our new Lidar Video Camera, which is
a joint development between Z+F USA, Inc. and Autonosys, Inc.. This product
is based on the well known Z+F laser range finder in conjunction with a
planar-polygonal dual mirror. The unique feature of this scanner is its very
high frame rate of 5 Hz at 256 x 144 pixel resolution and 1 Hz at 512 x 288
pixel resolution, coupled with a high range and intensity resolution of
16-bit and mm accuracy. The current unit has a maximum range of 53 metres,
which can be expanded to 80 metres.


Speaker Bio:

Dr. Dirk Langer has been involved with Laser Scanning Technology and related
hardware and software solutions for the last 10 years. Since 1998 he has
been responsible for the US operations of Z+F, an internationally known
company in this area. He has a Dipl.-Ing. degree in Electrical Engineering
from the Technical University Munich in Germany and a PhD in Robotics from
Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.
Before joining Z+F in 1998, he held research positions at the Robotics
Institute at Carnegie Mellon University and was involved in a variety of
projects ranging from autonomous vehicle navigation to the development of
radar and laser imaging systems.

Dr. Jim O'Neill is the CEO of AutonoSys Inc, a startup company specializing
in systems and sensors for autonomous vehicles. AutonoSys Inc was the only
non-US based qualifier for the 2005 Darpa Grand Challenge NQE.
Prior to founding AutonoSys, Jim O'Neill gained over twenty-five years of
business and technical experience in a variety of high tech industries. His
last position before AutonoSys was at JDSU, a Fortune 500 company in the
telecom industry. At JDSU, Dr O'Neill was head of business units in the US
and Canada with combined sales of approximately US$40M.
Dr O'Neill's formal education includes a doctoral degree in Astrophysics
from Oxford University in the UK.