Optical spread spectrum radar for lateral detection in vehicles

As part of the research into advanced automobiles of the future, it is necessary to measure lateral distances in order to realize an advanced vehicle control system. We have carried out research into lateral measurement of distances from moving vehicles, and applied the Spread Spectrum (SS) method using infrared light to the lateral measurement system. We propose a short range measurement system utilizing the slope of the correlation function of the maximal linear code as an application of the SS technique. Experimental results using an optical radar sensor are presented. Regarding measurement performance, a measurement maximal range of 7.5m and a precision of 0.2m is achieved. In addition, we confirmed the ability to continuously measure the distance from the moving vehicle to a guardrail.