A team of researchers from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the U.S. have successfully developed a new infrared laser "depth-sensing system", using an ordinary smartphone paired with a low-cost laser.

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The new system is expected to be unveiled during the upcoming International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA) 2016, which will take place in Sweden's capital city of Stockholm in May.

According to the MIT researchers, the new infrared laser depth-sensing system was designed to be used in both indoor and outdoor environments. Such system could be used to help self-driving vehicles, autonomous robots and drone technology, to measure distances and navigate outdoor environments. The technology can also be mounted on a car to detect objects in the environment and prevent collisions.

The researchers have developed a prototype of the system using a smartphone with a 30FPS camera, a US$10 laser attached to the bottom of the device, and other inexpensive parts. The team were able to test the system on "a driverless golf cart" vehicle that was developed by the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (SMART).

Computer Science and Electrical Engineering Professor Li-Shiuan Peh said, "My group has been strongly pushing for a device-centric approach to smarter cities, versus today's largely vehicle-centric or infrastructure-centric approach,"

"This is because phones have a more rapid upgrade-and-replacement cycle than vehicles. Cars are replaced in the timeframe of a decade, while phones are replaced every one or two years. This has led to drivers just using phone GPS today, as it works well, is pervasive, and stays up-to-date. I believe the device industry will increasingly drive the future of transportation." Peh added.

Today, rangefinders are being used in a wide range of applications such as in sports, forestry, photography, military weaponry, navigation and surveying. In golf, for instance, laser rangefinders are being used to measure the distance from the golfer to the shot target. They are also being used extensively in 3-D object modeling, 3-D object recognition and 3-D scanners. 

TagsLaser Rangefinder, Infrared Laser Depth-Sensing System CSAIL MIT, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MIT, Artificial Intelligence Robot Laser Technology News, Self-Driving Vehicles Autonomous Robots Drone News