Related Information Center Director: Robert Pack, Ph.D. Email: rtpack@cc.usu.edu Phone: (435) 797-7049 CMRTR Program Media Coverage Utah State University Receives Patent for 3-D Camera Space Dynamics Laboratory, 29 January 2004

Utah Center for Advanced Imaging LADAR

For the Commercialization of 3D Image Sensors

The Utah Center for Advanced Imaging LADAR (CAIL) was established at Utah State University (USU) in July of 2003 as a Utah Center of Excellence. The Center’s goal is to complete the development and commercialization of a proprietary technology platform that combines laser distance measurement with digital color imagery. The technology enables users to quickly capture detailed, 3D images of scenes in real-time and in a full-color, digital format. Complete with precise distance, color and global positioning data, the 3D datasets can be immediately used for real-time, geo-positioned imagery and also stored for later viewing, analysis and manipulation as exact image replicas in virtual reality environments. For example, following is a computer-generated side view of a grove of trees imaged from a single bird-eye vantage point.

Technology Description

CAIL’s technology joins existing LADAR technology with digital color imaging in a unique single-lens camera. At exactly the same time and through the same aperture, the multi-function cameras “sweep” a scene, collecting millions of distance and spectral measurements per second to create an exact 3D color image and dataset. Until now, distance and spectral datasets had to be gathered separately, carefully referenced by position and time, and then superimposed back together, a laborious process taking several days or even weeks. The CAIL technology eliminates the need for this slow and expensive data reprocessing. From several meters to several kilometers away, the datasets can be collected from land, air or space and used in real-time, and the systems will be the first in the world to enable precise 3D color imagery when the scene, the camera, or both are moving.

Benefits

• Fast, inexpensive acquisition of true 3D color imagery
• Real-time image viewing and analysis
• Handles camera and/or object motion
• Can geo-position and geo-reference datasets
• Compact, lightweight, portable systems

Market Applications

• Surveying for land, forest, mining, utilities
• City modeling and urban mapping
• Cinematography and 3D gaming
• Military reconnaissance, targeting
• Commercial photography, real estate
• Manufacturing, remote sensing, security

Development Stage

A demonstrative prototype has been built and successfully tested for land-based, 3D color imagery. An aerial system for testing in 2004 is currently under development with the Navy, and component and system integration development is ongoing. One US patent has been issued covering the base technology, and additional patent applications are being prepared.

Commercial Opportunities

USU is actively seeking development and commercialization partners from industry and government for all aspects of this technology: hardware, software, finished systems, service licensing for use of the systems and data, and eventual product distribution/sales.