Structured laser illumination for technologies of three-dimensional viewing of robotic facilities

Approaches to the use of the principles of triangulation laser-television distance measurement, based on scanned illumination by a laser beam with fanwise divergence, have been analyzed in order to solve problems of three-dimensional artificial vision with no limitations on the illumination level and relief of the terrain. Using numerical modeling, algorithms to determine the distance to an object have been investigated from the standpoint of how the parameters of the illuminating beam, the characteristics of the system, and the observation conditions affect the distance-measurement error. It is shown that the limitations on the maximum radiation power from the standpoint of eye safety are reduced by three orders of magnitude when laser illumination with strongly anisotropic divergence is used. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.