Garmin LIDAR-Lite technology lands on Mars!
28.04.2021
Reading time: 5 minutes
5 April 2021 – a historic day, when NASA's Ingenuity robotic helicopter took off on the first controlled flight on Mars. Along for the journey was the Garmin LIDAR-Lite v3 optical altitude sensor, which helped measure how high the aircraft rose above the surface of Mars.
With the Ingenuity robotic helicopter, NASA tested a flight on another planet for the first time, and this historic mission took place in cooperation with Garmin. On 18 February 2021, the robotic helicopter landed safely in Mars's Jezero Crater, attached to the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. Next, the helicopter's task was to safely detach itself from the rover, deploy onto the Martian surface, recharge using solar energy, establish communication with flight operators on Earth, spin up its rotor blades – and finally – take off and fly autonomously for the first time.
So how was Garmin involved in the project? Garmin technology – LIDAR-Lite v3 – measures the helicopter's distance from the ground. Ingenuity's goal was to rise 5 m above the surface of Mars for a 90-second flight. Keep in mind that the atmosphere on Mars is less than 1% as dense as Earth's – and that Wilbur and Orville Wright's first flight on Earth lasted just 12 seconds.
Ingenuity weighs 1.8 kg on Earth, which translates to 0.67 kg on Mars, and its rotors measure 1.2 m from tip to tip. This makes LIDAR-Lite v3 the perfect compact, high-performance optical distance-measurement sensor solution. Below, Garmin designer Bob Lewis, who helped develop the helicopter's technology, explains why LIDAR-Lite technology was chosen for such an important mission.
What is the LIDAR-Lite device and how does it work?
The LIDAR-Lite module serves as an altimeter. Essentially, the device measures the distance between the helicopter and the ground using pulses of infrared light projected onto the surface. The light then bounces back, and the technology measures the time it takes for the light to travel from the helicopter down to the ground and back up again. LIDAR-Lite was chosen because the device is very lightweight, and due to the low atmospheric density the helicopter can't carry much.
How is LIDAR-Lite technology used on Earth?
LIDAR-Lite technology is used for distance measurement in a variety of applications – typically for distances of up to 40 m. And it's quite accurate. The technology's accuracy is just under 2.5 cm, making it useful in many fields. It's often used in drones as an altimeter to measure the drone's height above the ground. It's also used in robotics applications for scanning rooms. One feature of the optical system is a well-focused beam, which allows 360-degree scanning to produce an accurate map of a room. LIDAR-Lite technology can be used in any field that requires precise distance measurement and fast updates, as well as in fields where navigation information is needed.
If the data update rate is slow, we can't really move quickly. LIDAR-Lite technology provides updates at hundreds of cycles per second.
Does Garmin have other products that use LIDAR-Lite technology?
LIDAR-Lite technology is used in a wide range of other Garmin products. In NASA's case, it's mainly used only to measure distance from the ground, but when combined with a camera system, it can be used for navigation. Garmin has a handheld golf rangefinder that uses the same technology. It's also used in archery. Using the distance between the archer and the target, the technology calculates how much airdrop affects the arrow's flight. For example, if you shoot an arrow from 50 m away, the arrow drops by a certain amount over that distance. LIDAR-Lite provides a new aiming point that compensates for this airdrop. This technology can be used in many different applications.
Source: https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/general/garmin-on-mars/
