A low-cost laser range finder based on an FMCW-like method

The purpose of this paper is to present the prototype of a low-cost laser r ange finder. It belongs to the flight time measurement category, In this ca se, the time of flight is converted into a beat frequency proportional to t he distance to be measured. This physical conversion is realized with an op tical power modulation of the laser beam by a chirped wave, The experimenta l set-up is detailed with the main functional blocks. Experimental results are provided and the main possible improvements are discussed.