Two-directional range sensor device using direction converter of laser beam

Abstract

A range sensor is known as one of sensors which are often installed in mobile robots. The range sensor can detect the distance to objects in the environment using laser beam. However, the measurement area of the range sensor is limited because the scanning plane of the sensor is single and parallel to the mounting surface. In this research, we developed a new range sensor capable of scanning in two directions. Using the periodic refraction of laser beam generated by the rotation of two acrylic prisms installed around the range sensor, two-directional scanning is realized. If this range sensor is placed at the front of the mobile robot horizontally, the robot becomes possible to scan both distant area and road surface. In addition, we devised a simple method for the classification and integration of two-directional measurement data based on a model fitting method. In this paper we describe the concept of the range sensor device and explain the method for the classification and integration of two-directional measurement data. Furthermore, we verified the range sensor's effectiveness through object detection experiments.