I-Corps: Chip-scale laser ranging module for precision autonomous navigation and vehicular safety

I-Corps：用于精确自主导航和车辆安全的芯片级激光测距模块

• 批准号: 2029811
• 负责人: Chee Wei Wong
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: University of California-Los Angeles
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-06-01 至 2020-11-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2029811&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Chip; scale; laser; ranging

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of precision laser sensing for vehicular navigation and safety. Recently, there has been a substantial commercial effort to build modular light detection and ranging (LiDAR) units to achieve the perception stack of autonomous and robotic-drone platforms. However, most state-of-the-art LiDAR sensors are based on mechanically rotating laser arrays or bulk solid-state lasers that are large, heavy, consume high-power and are difficult to scale. Recent results have demonstrated a chip-scale LiDAR architecture based on on-chip lasers and optoelectronics, enabling a solid-state approach with high performance. In this I-Corps program, the goal is to identify potential customers and market of highest need through the customer discovery process, and to develop a detailed and robust business model.This I-Corps project is based on the development of precision laser sensing for vehicular navigation and safety and supported by preliminary chip demonstrations in the laboratory. Using this technology, the 3D vehicular surroundings may be mapped via laser time-of-flight reflection. Together with modeling and design parameter analysis, performance of the LiDAR chip has been examined using advances in the photonic design, coupled with advances in the laser precision measurements and thresholds, and detector signal-to-noise ratio. The photonic implementation is scalable through the foundry processing compared to prior studies on bulk rotating laser arrays or bulky solid-state lasers. This chip-scale laser sensing technology may enable the readiness level of autonomous vehicle sensors.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

该I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是开发用于车辆导航和安全性的精确激光传感。 最近，已经进行了大量的商业努力来建立模块化的光检测和范围（LIDAR）单元，以实现自动和机器人无人机平台的感知堆栈。但是，大多数最先进的激光雷达传感器都是基于机械旋转的激光阵列或大型固态激光器，这些激光器大，重量，消耗量高且难以扩展。最近的结果表明，基于片上激光器和光电子的芯片尺度的激光雷达体系结构，使能够具有高性能的固态方法。在此I-Corps计划中，目标是通过客户发现过程确定潜在客户和最高需求市场，并开发出详细且健壮的商业模型。该I-Corps项目基于开发用于车辆导航和安全性的精确激光传感，并在实验室中得到了预先芯片的支持。使用这项技术，可以通过激光飞行时间反射映射3D车辆环境。与建模和设计参数分析一起，使用光子设计的进步研究了LiDAR芯片的性能，并在激光精度测量和阈值中的进步以及检测器信噪比。与先前对散装旋转激光阵列或笨重的固态激光器的研究相比，光子实施是可扩展的。 这种芯片尺度的激光传感技术可以使自动驾驶汽车传感器的准备水平能够准备就绪。该奖项反映了NSF的法定任务，并被认为是值得通过基金会的知识分子优点和更广泛的影响评估标准通过评估来支持的。