SPAD LiDAR applications for imaging through fog and ocean environments

Fog and ocean environments present a difficult challenge for SPAD LiDAR imaging because of light attenuation and scattering. This talk will present the different work conducted to extract target information from 32x32 SPAD FLASH LiDAR images in these environments. A statistical modelling approach and an image feature-based approach will be discussed for localising a single target in fog. For imaging underwater targets through the water, research for understanding the quality of 32x32 SPAD FLASH LiDAR images in the ocean will be presented. In addition, preliminary work on measuring inherent optical properties and physical properties of the ocean will be briefly discussed, where the aim of this work is to understand the feasibility of using LiDAR sensing to measure these property changes in the ocean to assist with submerged object detection.