Speed Measurement of the Moving Targets Using the Stepping Equivalent Range-Gate Method

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Lidar Technology
• Signal Processing

Background:

• Range-gated imaging lidar systems are crucial for detecting targets at various distances.
• Accurate measurement of both distance and speed for moving targets remains a challenge in lidar applications.
• Existing methods may have limitations in accuracy or applicability across different target ranges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate a novel stepping equivalent range-gate (S-ERG) method for simultaneous speed and distance measurement.
• To assess the performance and accuracy of the S-ERG method in range-gated lidar systems.
• To demonstrate the practicality and wide applicability of the S-ERG method for moving targets.

Main Methods:

• Proposed the stepping equivalent range-gate (S-ERG) method.
• Measured target speed by recording the time the target traverses the range gate's front and back edges.
• Acquired distance information concurrently using the range gate's front and back edges.

Main Results:

• Successfully obtained distance information for both stationary and moving targets.
• Accurately measured the speed of moving targets using the S-ERG method.
• Demonstrated a speed measurement error of less than 5% compared to rotational displacement sensors, with minimal dependence on delay step time.

Conclusions:

• The S-ERG method provides a practical and accurate solution for measuring speed and distance in range-gated lidar.
• The method shows high performance regardless of target distance from the lidar system.
• The S-ERG method offers significant potential for diverse applications in range-gated imaging lidar.