Range extension of the PMD sensor with regard to applications in space

Modern active 3D-cameras open exciting opportunities for real-time distance measurements and obstacle avoidance in robotics. Here a challenging space technology problem related to rendezvous of a spacecraft with an non-cooperative target is supported by a Photonic Mixer Device (PMD) sensor. A key aspect is here the extension of the limited measurement range related to this sensor technology. Earlier approaches relied on phase jumps in the image to recover the true distance from the interferometric measurement bias. For space applications it is important to elaborate alternative approaches, as there is no contiguous distance span available. The range extension of the PMD sensor presented is a part of a model-based uncooperative object tracker. Thus performance characterisations for object tracking test results are provided, as well as perspectives for further application potential of the PMD sensor.