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UCC is part of a consortium that aims to boost various autonomous systems with laser sensors that can measure distances accurately and use less energy.
European researchers are working on new laser sensors to help satellites navigate precisely and let drones operate for longer.
The consortium is working on a project called INPHOMIR, which has ambitious goals to make space missions more efficient and boost autonomous systems. The researchers are working on two separate sensors to achieve these goals.
The project has received nearly €5m in funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe programme and includes eight partners, among them University College Cork. The project is being coordinated by Gem Elettronica, an automation company based in Italy.
According to the researchers, sensors for space navigation and autonomous systems can struggle with precision when faced with harsh environments with low visibility, such as fog or dust. These sensors also consume large amounts of power, which limits their use in space and autonomous systems.
“As we aim to explore space much deeper while conducting more complex missions, the need for precise, reliable and efficient sensors is now more critical than ever,” said project coordinator Dr Daniele Palaferri. “The advanced sensing technologies we are developing will hopefully enhance the accuracy of satellite positioning, improve navigation for interplanetary missions and ensure the success of space exploration.”
To achieve these goals, the project is developing an advanced optical gyroscope, which is a balancing tool that helps machines such as drones and satellites to stay on course. Instead of mechanical parts, this gyroscope will use laser light to measure how fast and in which direction something is spinning.
The team is also developing a new type of Lidar – light detection and ranging – system that uses laser light to create a detailed 3D maps of the environment, in a similar manner to radar.
“Think of a bat’s echolocation system, but for machines like drones and self-driving cars,” Palaferri said. “Our frequency-modulated continuous wave is a fancy way of saying that the lidar sends out a continuous laser beam that changes its frequency over time. By doing this, it can measure distances very accurately, even if objects are moving.”
The team is developing these sensors with mid-infrared light and believes this will help autonomous systems to see through things that usually block normal light, such as dust or fog.
The researchers are using a special material called indium phosphide to make advanced photonic integrated circuits. Instead of using electricity to move information around, these circuits use light. The team claims these advanced circuits can do the same job as regular microchips but at a potentially faster speed and with much less energy.
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