What Is the Benefit of Coherent Detection in 3D Vision for Autonomous Systems?

For 3D vision, FMCW is a promising technology that has its advantages from coherent detection. This makes it possible to achieve long-range detection due to the high sensitivity that can be achieved with balanced detection.

For several applications, it is also a benefit or even requirement that the coherent detection technique is immune to ambient lights since the coherent technology relies on the beating of the swept source with the reflected sample light.

Using FMCW the distance to object can be measured as well as the velocity. The added information of velocity is often useful as an additional method for object classification.

The fast 3D vision possible with VCSEL Swept Sources allows for very rapid distance and velocity measurement which is important for quick reaction times. This is especially important for confined spaces where an autonomous system operates at a high-speed handling objects in close proximity to humans.