Object and vehicle warning system - uses laser range finder as scanner to identify obstructions or objects ahead of vehicle and issues warning to driver

摘要

A forward looking laser scanning system is used by road vehicles to provide early warning of obstructions that are not readily seen by the driver. The system has a laser (2) directing an output onto the surface of a transparent polygonal prism, e.g. a cube (2) that is rotated about an axis by a motor (3). The angular position is measured by an encoder (3). The scanning beam passes through a lens (7). Signals reflected back are focussed (8) onto the prism and are received (10) for processing. A further scanner set at 90 degrees allows vehicle inclination angles to be included. ADVANTAGE - Provides obstruction warnings to reduce possibility of collision.