Compact and MEMS-Scanner-Based 3-D Imaging LiDAR With Wide Scanning Angle of 147.5° × 11.6° Using Multiple Transmitters and a Single Small Photodetector With Diameter of 0.5 mm

The 3-D imaging light detection and ranging (LiDAR) with a wide scanning angle of 147.5° [Formula Omitted]° is shown. The LiDAR has the micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) scanner, which is the electromagnetic driving type produced by the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) process. The scanner has a large aperture size of 7 mm [Formula Omitted] 5 mm with the mechanical tilt angle of ±12.5° [Formula Omitted] ±3.4°. The rib structure of the MEMS mirror realizes the small distortion on the mirror surface in addition to the lightweight. The three laser diodes (LDs) are used to realize the wide scanning angle. The optics has the unique design and covers the three transmitting directions of the LDs with only one small photodetector that has a diameter of 0.5 mm. This single photodetector configuration contributes to the compactness in addition to low cost. The maximum measurable range of 40 m is demonstrated with the frame rate of 28 frames per second (fps) and [Formula Omitted] pixels.