Catch Me If You Can: Demonstrating Laser Tethering with Highly Mobile Targets
Charles J. Carver, Hadleigh Schwartz, Qijia Shao, Nicholas R. Shade, Joseph P. Lazzaro, Xiaoxin Wang, Jifeng Liu, Eric R. Fossum, Xia Zhou · 2023
Conventional wisdom holds that laser-based systems cannot handle mobility due to the strong directionality of laser light. We challenge this belief by presenting Lasertag, a generic system framework that tightly integrates laser steering with optical tracking to maintain laser connectivity with high-velocity targets. Lasertag creates a constantly connected, laser-based tether between the Lasertag core unit and a remote target, irrespective of the target's movement. Key elements of Lasertag include (1) a novel optical design that superimposes the optical paths of a steerable laser beam and an image sensor, (2) a lightweight optical tracking mechanism for passive retroreflective markers, (3) an automated mapping method to translate scene points to laser steering commands, and (4) a predictive steering algorithm that overcomes limited image sensor frame rates and laser steering delays to quadruple the steering rate up to 151 Hz. We demonstrate Lasertag's tethering capabilty with various mobile targets, such as a VR headset worn during active game play, a remotely-controlled moving robot, and more. Lasertag paves the way for laser applications in highly mobile settings.