Distributed aperture systems for obstacle avoidance

An imaging method, comprising:

• receiving electromagnetic radiation through a first aperture of each of a first, second, and third aperture pair;
• for each of the first, second, and third aperture pairs, generating a first point cloud data set using the electromagnetic radiation received through the first aperture in a first field of regard with a first resolution;
• for each of the first, second, and third aperture pairs, receiving electromagnetic radiation through a second aperture;
• for each of the first, second, and third aperture pairs, generating a second point cloud data set using the electromagnetic radiation received through the second aperture in a second field of regard with a second resolution, the second field of regard overlapping the first field of regard, forming an overlapping area, the second field of regard being smaller than the first field of regard;
• and
• constructing a 3D image from the first point cloud data set and the second point cloud data set of each of the first, second, and third aperture pairs,
• wherein the first, second, and third aperture pairs are arranged so that the first field of regard of the third aperture pair is registered to and longitudinally overlapping a portion of the first field of regard of the first aperture pair, and so that the second field of regard of the third aperture pair overlaps a portion of the second field of regard of the first aperture pair and further overlaps a portion of the second field of regard of the second aperture pair,
• wherein the first and second aperture pairs are arranged so that the first field of regard of the second aperture pair is registered to and laterally overlapping a portion of the first field of regard of the first aperture pair, and so that the second field of regard of the second aperture pair overlaps a portion of the second field of regard of the first aperture pair,
• wherein a first combined area defined by the first field of regard of the first, second, and third aperture pairs provides a first coverage area including non-overlapping areas having the first resolution that provides the peripheral information,
• wherein a second combined area defined by overlapping areas of the first, second, and third aperture pairs provides a second coverage area having the high resolution that provides a portion of heading information, the second coverage area being smaller than the first coverage area,
• wherein a third combined area provides a third coverage area, the third combined area being included in the second combined area and defined by at least one region of duplicative overlap in which at least two overlapping areas of the first, second, and third aperture pairs overlap, the third coverage area being smaller than the second coverage area, being in an immediate vicinity of a direction of travel, and providing another portion of the heading information, and
• wherein the 3D image includes the heading information and the peripheral information for obstacle avoidance.