Researchers at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland and his colleagues built a device that can create detailed three-dimensional images, including ridges and indentations as small as 1 millimetre, from hundreds of metres away. It uses an imaging technique called lidar, emitting pulses of laser light that collide with objects then reflect back into the device. Based on how long each pulse takes to return, lidar can determine an object’s shape. The team had to calibrate and align many different components.
To enable it to distinguish single particles of light, the researchers used a light-detecting sensor based on an incredibly thin piece of superconducting wire, a component that isn’t common in lidar. Filtering out sunlight that could enter the detector and degrade the image was another challenge. The researchers tested their lidar system on a roof near their lab by taking detailed three-dimensional images of a team member’s head from 45 and 325 metres away. On a smaller scale, they captured Lego figurines from a distance of 32 metres.
More information: