Towards Synchronisation of Multiple Independent MEMS-based Micro-Scanning LiDAR Systems

In intelligent vehicles, it is indispensable to have reliable Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) on board. These ADAS require various types of sensors, like Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR). Nowadays, drivers delegate some responsibilities to their highly automated vehicles; however, it is not legally secured. Nevertheless, the legislator will, in the future, deal with automated vehicles. The fundamentals will be laid to ensure that the transfer of responsibilities will be permitted under certain conditions. Car manufacturers, on the other hand, must ensure that components are safe and reliable. With LiDAR, this could be achieved with Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) technology. As with humans as drivers, it is also advantageous for intelligent systems if obstacles in the environment are detected promptly. Especially when the obstacles are moving, it helps to initiate appropriate measures, such as braking. Therefore, it is attempted to extend the Field-of-View (FoV) of the various sensors. By synchronising multiple MEMS mirrors, it is able to extend the FoV of the LiDAR part in an environmental perception system. In this publication, an architecture is proposed for MEMS-based Micro-Scanning LiDAR Systems to achieve synchronisation of multiple independently controlled MEMS mirrors. The architecture was implemented in an FPGA prototyping platform to show its feasibility and evaluate its performance.