This paper reviews early evaluations of the Neptec Technologies 3D LiDAR sensor’s capabilities for the security markets related to aerial and surface threats. Aerial threats are primarily focused on drone detection, while surface threats include perimeter security on the ground or over water. The OPAL LiDAR uses a Risley-prism pair mechanism to generate unique scan patterns, offering the advantage of rapid and tight coverage of the Field-of-View (FOV). Field trials were conducted for characterizing the detection capability of small drones, such as the DJI Phantom-3. The main variables for the testing included; distance from sensor to the drone, speed, and trajectory as well as specific LiDAR intrinsic settings. Similar field trials have been conducted for perimeter incursions over land and water. A predictive model has been developed for the probability of detection of small targets, taking into account the LiDAR’s optomechanical settings in relation to the target size and reflectivity. The results obtained from these trials is presented and compared to the predictive model.

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Philip Church, Christopher Grebe, Justin Matheson, and Brett Owens, "Aerial and surface security applications using lidar," Proc. SPIE 10636, Laser Radar Technology and Applications XXIII, 1063604 (Presented at SPIE Defense + Security: April 17, 2018; Published: 10 May 2018); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2304348.