Photo credit: www.nasa.gov

NASA Team Honored with Innovator of the Year Award for Groundbreaking Lidar Technology

NASA scientists Guan Yang, Jeff Chen, and their team have been recognized with the 2024 Innovator of the Year Award at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This accolade acknowledges their significant advancements in lidar technology enhanced by artificial intelligence.

Lidar, which operates similarly to sonar but uses laser pulses, has long been utilized in space exploration. However, the system developed by Yang and Chen—officially known as the Concurrent Artificially-intelligent Spectrometry and Adaptive Lidar System (CASALS)—represents a major advancement. It promises to deliver high-resolution data in a more compact form, vastly improving efficiency over existing technologies.

The innovation within CASALS stems from its integration of various sophisticated technologies. These include advanced laser and receiver designs, wavelength-based non-mechanical beam steering, and multispectral imaging, all augmented by artificial intelligence. This AI capability empowers the system to make autonomous decisions during its operations in orbit, reducing reliance on ground control.

Team engineer Jeffrey Chen pointed out that current 3D imaging lidars often fall short in providing the 2-inch resolution necessary for guidance and navigation, which is critical for ensuring safe landings during exploration missions. “Existing systems lack the capability to execute both 3D hazard detection and navigation functions effectively,” he noted in a previous interview.

Currently, the CASALS lidar is being tailored for Earth observation, focusing on land and ice topography, as well as monitoring coastline changes. Looking ahead, its applications may extend to solar system exploration, including enhancements in space navigation and high-resolution mapping of the Moon, aiding NASA’s Artemis mission to return humans there.

A lidar system like CASALS holds potential for exploring rocky planets such as Venus or Mars, allowing for detailed planetary mapping.

This innovative effort has also benefitted from the collaboration of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) partners, including Axsun Technologies, Freedom Photonics, and Left Hand, who contributed essential laser and optical technologies necessary for the realization of CASALS.

The Innovator of the Year award, presented by Goddard’s Office of the Chief Technologist, is a prestigious recognition for outstanding technological contributions within the agency. The CASALS team received their award during a technology poster session held on November 6, 2024, at NASA Goddard.

Source
www.nasa.gov