Robotic reconnaissance platform. I. Spectroscopic instruments with rangefinders
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 5 King's College Road, Toronto, M5S 3G8 (Canada)
In this paper, basic principles of the design and implementation of a portable, multi-functional scientific instrument, operating from a robotic reconnaissance mobile platform are discussed. The current version of the instrument includes a multi-gas laser sensor, multi-functional spectrometer, isotopes identifier, cameras, and rangefinder. An additional set of sensors monitors temperature, pressure, humidity, and background radiation. All components are installed on a mini-robotic platform, which provides data acquisition, processing, and transmittance. The design focuses on the development of calibration-free, reliable, low power-consumption devices. To create a highly survivable, accurate, and reliable instrument, a concept of an inhomogeneous sensory network has been developed. Such a network combines non-identical sensors and provides cross-use of information received from different sensors to describe environmental conditions, to choose appropriate algorithms of data processing, and to achieve high accuracy gas-concentration measurements. The system uses the same lasers to operate different optical devices such as sensors, rangefinders, spectrometers, and isotopes identifiers. Among the innovative elements described in this paper, are a calibration-free, laser multi-gas sensor with range-finding option; a high signal/noise ratio transmittance spectrometer; a single-frequency laser with nano-selector; and low repetition-rate femtosecond fiber lasers operating in near- and middle- infrared spectral ranges. New detailed analyses of absorption spectroscopy theoretical approximations made it possible to achieve high-accuracy gas-concentration measurements with miniature optical sensors.
- OSTI ID:
- 22063742
- Journal Information:
- Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 82, Issue 11; Other Information: (c) 2011 American Institute of Physics; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0034-6748
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ACCURACY
ALGORITHMS
APPROXIMATIONS
BACKGROUND RADIATION
CALIBRATION
CAMERAS
DATA ACQUISITION
DATA PROCESSING
DATA TRANSMISSION
DESIGN
GAS LASERS
HUMIDITY
INFRARED SPECTRA
PRESSURE MEASUREMENT
SENSORS
SIGNAL-TO-NOISE RATIO
SPECTROMETERS
TEMPERATURE MONITORING