Skip to Content
Uncategorized

3-D Sky Eye

October 1, 2003

Military jets need it now. Robots and cars will need something similar in the future: a rugged “vision” system that can produce sharp 3-D images of terrain contours and objects, day or night. This summer, researchers at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington, MA, made the first test flights of a 3-D laser imager that can do precisely that.

The new technology uses extremely fast infrared lasers and unique arrays of ultrasensitive light detectors. The laser-emitted light reflects off of objects, and the time it takes to return is measured by detectors, providing a 3-D image. The arrays capture 10,000 images per second and can detect even one photon, says Rick Heinrichs, physicist and group leader at Lincoln Laboratory.

That improves on existing 3-D laser imagers, which scan across a target and more slowly piece together an image, which limits resolution and the ability to visualize partly obscured objects through foliage, for example. What’s more, the new arrays “don’t have moving parts, making them ultimately cheaper and more reliable,” says Maris Juberts, an electrical engineer at the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, MD.

Of course, “it’s going to be a while before this goes to Detroit, because the costs have to go down,” says Heinrichs. But already, the airborne version of the imager is seeing the targets through the trees.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build

“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”

ChatGPT is going to change education, not destroy it

The narrative around cheating students doesn’t tell the whole story. Meet the teachers who think generative AI could actually make learning better.

Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives

The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.

Learning to code isn’t enough

Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.