초록 ▼

A small-sized precision distance measuring apparatus. When a laser beam 1b reflected from an article is received on a photodetector array (30) through a lens array (20), the effective area of the photodetector array (30) is calculated on the basis of the output from the photodetectors, and the dista

A small-sized precision distance measuring apparatus. When a laser beam 1b reflected from an article is received on a photodetector array (30) through a lens array (20), the effective area of the photodetector array (30) is calculated on the basis of the output from the photodetectors, and the distance from the lens array (20) to the article 11 is calculated from the calculated area and the angle of view of the lenses constituting the lens array (20). If pixels (33a, 33b, 33c) of an image on a sensor array, corresponding to the coordinates of elements in the space (12), are determined on the basis of the positional relationship between the lenses (41a, 41b, 41c) of a lens array and photodetectors (51a, 51b, 51c) of the sensor array, the comparison of image information on the pixels (33a, 33b, 33c) can be made to determine the coordinate positions representing the profile of the article 11 from the coordinate positions of the space (12), thereby determining the distance to the article (11) and its shape. The measuring apparatus is used on a moving body, a robot or the like.

대표청구항 ▼

[ We claim:] [1.] A distance measuring apparatus for measuring a distance from a reference plane to a laser lit position by beaming a laser beam from a laser oscillator to an article and sensing a reflected laser beam, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:a lens array including a plurality

[ We claim:] [1.] A distance measuring apparatus for measuring a distance from a reference plane to a laser lit position by beaming a laser beam from a laser oscillator to an article and sensing a reflected laser beam, characterized in that the apparatus comprises:a lens array including a plurality of lenses having identical lens characteristics and disposed at uniform intervals on a plane, the lens array having a hole formed within the plane for allowing passage of the laser beam projected from the laser oscillator;a photodetector array including a plurality of photodetectors disposed on a plane and corresponding to each lens constituting the lens array, the photodetectors in the photodetector array being disposed at a distance of a focal length of the lens from the lenses in the lens array, the photodetector array having a hole formed within the plane for allowing passage of the laser beam projected from the laser oscillator;the laser oscillator projecting the laser beam toward the article in such a manner that a direction of the laser beam becomes perpendicular to the photodetector array and the lens array and that the laser beam passes through each of the holes formed in the photodetector array and the lens array;the lens array, the photodetector array, and the laser oscillator being disposed in front of the article so as to be separated from the article in that order; andcalculating means for calculating an effective area on the photodetector array on the basis of an output of each photodetector in the photodetector array, when the laser beam reflected from the article is sensed by the photodetector array via the lens array, and for calculating a distance from the lens array to the article on the basis of the effective area and an angle of view of the lenses constituting the lens array.