Flash LADAR collision avoidance system

A robotic driving system adapted to steer a vehicle autonomously comprising:

• at least one ladar sensor mounted to the vehicle and, a system controller,
• and the ladar sensor connected to said system controller via bidirectional connections, the bidirectional connections comprising;
• a cable assembly routed through the vehicle, the cable assembly further comprising;
• a first end connected to the system controller, and
• a connector at a second end adapted to connect to the ladar sensor;
• and the ladar sensor having a field of view, and housed within an envelope and mounted to the vehicle, said envelope having a device connector adapted to mate with the cable assembly, and the envelope having a transparent surface adapted to transmit infrared light;
• said ladar sensor further comprising,
• a pulsed laser transmitter having a pulsed light output and diffusing optic and adapted to emit a laser light pulse to illuminate a scene in the field of view, and
• a time zero reference circuit having a time zero output, said time zero output adapted to signal the instant of emission of the laser light pulse,
• a regular geometric array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal point of a light collecting and focusing lens, and each light sensitive detector having an output terminal producing an electrical pulse when illuminated by a reflected portion of the laser light pulse,
• a readout integrated circuit comprised of a regular geometric array of unit cell electrical circuits, and each unit cell electrical circuit having an input connected to the output terminal of a light sensitive detector,
• and each unit cell electrical circuit adapted to amplify and detect said electrical pulse, and the unit cell electrical circuit having a detected pulse output, and
• a plurality of timing circuits, and each timing circuit connected to a detected pulse output, and also connected to the time zero output, and
• said timing circuit having an elapsed time output, and producing an elapsed time value indicating the time delay between the emission of the laser light pulse and the detected pulse output from the associated unit cell electrical circuit,
• and said readout integrated circuit connected to a plurality of the elapsed time outputs, and the readout integrated circuit adapted to collect and transmit via the cable assembly the elapsed time values,
• and said system controller further having a digital processor adapted to make an optimum path computation, and the system controller also having a control output connected to the vehicle steering, and thereby navigating the vehicle.