In today’s evolving 3D laser scanning landscape, two terms often surface: LIDAR and Laser RADAR. Both measure distances using light to generate spatial data, but their principles differ significantly. These differences are vital for industries like construction, metrology, and vibration testing, where accuracy is critical.
This post explores LIDAR versus Laser RADAR, examining their applications in engineering, construction, and industrial metrology. We also highlight how Ommatidia’s Q1 & Q2 Laser RADAR solutions deliver unmatched precision and reliability in advanced 3D laser measurement systems.
What is Laser RADAR?
Laser RADAR: Precision Beyond LIDAR with Interferometry and FMCW for Unmatched Accuracy and Versatility
While LIDAR relies on time-of-flight calculations, Laser RADAR employs more advanced optical techniques to measure distances with extreme precision. Interferometry and advanced Frequency-Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technology are deployment to improve performance. Rather than relying solely on timing light pulses, Laser RADAR systems analyze subtle changes in the phase or frequency of the returning beam.
Key Attributes of Laser RADAR:
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Interferometry
By splitting a laser beam into two paths—a reference beam and a measurement beam—Laser RADAR detects interference patterns when the measurement beam reflects off a target surface. Minute shifts in these patterns translate into ultra-precise distance calculations. -
FMCW with advanced phase control
In contrast to discrete laser pulses, FMCW systems continuously vary the laser frequency. When the beam reflects, the returning signal is compared to the outgoing signal. The difference in frequencies reveals both distance and velocity—a feature particularly useful for vibration measurement and noise vibration and harshness automotive testing. Ommatidia has developed advanced algorithms to optimise accuracy and ensure performance under environmental vibrations. -
Advantages Over LIDAR
- Higher Accuracy: Laser RADAR systems typically achieve micron level precision, even across large distances.
- Reduced Sensitivity to Environmental Interference: Advanced noise filtering helps handle dust, humidity, adverse lighting and partial obstructions better than time-of-flight–based LIDAR.
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Versatile Applications: Beyond static 3D laser scanner tasks as a precision laser measuring tool, Laser RADAR can also serve as a remote vibration sensor, i.e. a scanning laser vibrometer.
Ranging principle of a time of flight Lidar Sensor
Ranging Principle of a Laser RADAR with Advanced FMCW / Absolute Interferometry
In-line high-accuracy Laser RADAR inspection is essential in robotic car production
Applications of LIDAR vs. Laser RADAR
Both LIDAR and Laser RADAR have broad, sometimes overlapping use cases. However, the choice between them often depends on required accuracy, environmental conditions, and budget.
Construction and Architecture
- LIDAR: Commonly used for low-accuracy construction laser scanner tasks, such as creating point clouds of building exteriors or terrain mapping.
- Laser RADAR: Ideal for 3D laser scanner for buildings and civil infrastructure when sub-millimeter accuracy is needed—typically relevant when evaluating structures with respect to loads and long-term movements.
Industrial Laser Scanning
- LIDAR: Sufficient for basic dimensional checks or wide-area scanning in factories.
- Laser RADAR: Offers industrial operations a high-accuracy laser scanning measurement system that allows for quality control of parts in advanced manufacturing applications ensuring precise alignment of machinery, pipelines, and other components. Further Ommatidia's Laser RADARs double as a vibration measurement device or laser surface scanner for displacement analysis,
Automotive & Aerospace
- LIDAR: Used in autonomous vehicles for real-time obstacle detection.
- Laser RADAR: Effective for quality control in stamped parts, carbon-fibre components and assemblies, and body-in-white in-line inspection. It has further applications via its laser Doppler vibrometry mode in automotive vibration testing, and noise vibration and harshness automotive studies, thanks to advanced FMCW capabilities.
Metrology & Quality Assurance
- LIDAR: Works well for standard tolerances.
- Laser RADAR: Delivers premium accuracy, often at the level of what is attainable with laser tracking system or laser tracker metrology but with the advantage of not requiring reflectors or manual work with a hand scanner. These features are essential to streamline quality control in high-precision manufacturing.
Ommatidia’s Q1 & Q2 Laser RADAR: A Step Beyond
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- Q2 Laser Radar for 3D Metrology and Vibration Analysis
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Unmatched Precision
Q1 & Q2 surpass standard lidar laser scanning by delivering metrology-grade accuracy (~0.1mm), allowing for detailed modeling in architectural laser scanning or complex industrial setups.
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Massively Parallel Acquisition
With 128 and 65 parallel channels the Q1 & Q2 accelerate data collection relative to single-beam Laser RADARs. This allows the acquisition of dense meshes capturing surface details for shape control while allowing to target specific quality control points.
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Multi-Modal Functionality
Beyond static scans, Q1 & Q2 facilitate laser vibration measurement, acting as a scanning laser vibrometer or remote vibration sensor. This feature is crucial for environments needing both geometric and dynamic data—e.g., 3D laser scanning for industrial plants subject to heavy machinery vibrations.
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Robust Integration
These solutions seamlessly integrate with existing 3D laser scanning software and hardware, including programmable laser light projectors or laser projection systems, forming a comprehensive ecosystem for measurement and vibration data acquisition.
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Extended Applications
From construction laser scanner workflows to industrial applications requiring non-contact automated measurements, like in laser scanning but with high accuracy, at the level of a laser tracker, the Q1 & Q2 are versatile enough to handle everything from routine site surveys to intricate noise and vibration testing.
Ommatidia’s Q1 & Q2 Laser RADAR solutions are designed to harness the full potential of interferometry and FMCW, transforming conventional 3D scanning into a multifaceted 3D laser measurement system. Here’s why they stand out:
Conclusion
LIDAR is excellent for surveying, mapping, and 3D measurement but struggles with ultra-high accuracy in challenging conditions. Laser RADAR, using interferometry and frequency-domain algorithms, achieves superior precision and versatility in demanding environments. It is ideal for precision laser measuring, industrial laser scanning, and vibration measurement applications.
Ommatidia’s Q1 and Q2 Laser RADAR systems offer unmatched accuracy and advanced noise filtering for diverse use cases. They outperform traditional lidar and scanners with massively parallel measurements, accelerating data acquisition dramatically. Whether scanning a remote site, testing automotive vibrations, or fine-tuning industrial assemblies, Laser RADAR transforms 3D spatial data analysis.
