A strategy for the correction of effects of jitter in AMCW lidar images

Full-field range imaging cameras, which are an example of amplitude modulated continuous wave (AMCW) lidar, are subject to multiple error sources. In this paper we consider the possibility that a global jitter and/or drift occurs between the modulation signals to the active illumination source and the camera sensor. A model for jitter is presented and is used to characterise the jitter in a real camera system. Correction of the effects of jitter in real acquired range images is demonstrated by a reduction of the standard deviation of random noise by up to a factor of five, with the best reductions occurring in pixels that receive a strong signal.