NII Polyus: Laser rangefinders

2023: Product Announcement

At the end of May 2023, Rostec announced the creation of high-precision laser rangefinders for space and navigation. They were developed by the Polyus Research Institute named after M.F. Stelmakh.

Laser rangefinders are optoelectronic instruments for measuring distance. The principle of their operation is based on the radiation of the laser reflected from the obstacle and returned back to the device, where it is captured by a highly sensitive sensor. The range to the object is calculated in a split second based on the time of the laser beam to the obstacle and vice versa.

High precision laser rangefinder

Employees of the Polyus Research Institute named after M.F. Stelmakh have developed a technical solution that increases the accuracy of pulse rangefinders and eliminates the risk of false positives of these devices. According to the developers, their method reduces the likelihood of computational errors by 18 times. In shipping, the new method will allow with maximum accuracy to establish the distance to the approaching obstacle even in adverse weather conditions, and in the elimination of forest fires - to lay the optimal route to the source of fire.

Rostec engineers have derived a new formula for calculating laser radiation readings in a rangefinder, says Oleg Yevtushenko, executive director of Rostec. As a result, the calculation error has decreased and the accuracy of the device readings has been improved. In modern life, rangefinders are used in many areas - from aviation and orbital satellite equipment to navigation and construction, so the development is of great practical value.

Evgeny Kuznetsov, General Director of the Polyus Research Institute, added that the institute has been conducting research in the field of laser optics for many years, thanks to which the Russian optical industry is receiving new developments for widespread use.