The influence of atmospheric turbulence on the rangefinder laser beam

This paper deals with the influence of atmospheric turbulence on the rangefinder laser beam. Analogous to the optical wireless links, turbulent flow causes optical intensity variation at the receiver plane. In optical communication, most problems namely at longer distances, are caused by beam scintillation and by beam wandering. In range finding systems, a strong influence from irradiated surfaces occurs. Since the laser beam in range finding systems is reflected by the target surface the fluctuation of optical intensity at the receiver depends on surface properties too.