Multi-Frequency AMCW LiDAR Imager for Next-Gen Planetary Exploration

As NASA expands lunar exploration under Artemis, autonomous mobility is crucial for crewed and uncrewed missions. However, current sensing technologies, including LiDAR, are designed for terrestrial use and lack adaptations for the Moon’s extreme conditions—radiation, dust, temperature fluctuations, and variable lighting—hindering safe rover navigation. To address this, we propose an Amplitude Modulated Continuous Wave (AMCW) high-frame-rate LiDAR system optimized for lunar operations. AMCW LiDAR offers high-speed, high-precision depth sensing in a compact, power-efficient design essential for surface exploration. Utilizing a four-bucket phase measurement technique and dual-frequency modulation, our system extends unambiguous range and maximizes signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), ensuring reliable performance in harsh lunar conditions. This innovation enhances mobility, hazard detection, and rover lifespan, supporting NASA’s long-term exploration goals. Beyond rover navigation, AMCW LiDAR supports hazard detection and terrain assessment for lunar landers, enabling real-time, high-resolution 3D mapping for safe landings. It also aids infrastructure development and resource exploration for sustained lunar habitation, facilitating habitat placement, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and construction planning. Additionally, NASA’s deep-space robotic missions—including Mars rovers and asteroid exploration—would benefit from AMCW LiDAR’s low-power, high-SNR capabilities. Its ability to function in GPS-denied, extreme environments with minimal computational demands makes it a key enabler for future planetary exploration. By advancing LiDAR technology to meet these needs, we provide NASA with a next-generation sensing solution that enhances exploration, safety, and operational efficiency across multiple mission profiles.

SenseICs’ radiation-hardened infrared (IR) event-based sensor (EBS) technology and high-frame-rate Amplitude Modulated Continuous Wave (AMCW) LiDAR align with NASA’s mission directives by enhancing autonomous mobility, hazard detection, and resource utilization in extreme environments. These advancements directly support the Artemis program and broader deep-space exploration efforts, ensuring safer, more efficient operations on the Moon, Mars, and beyond. For lunar surface mobility and hazard detection, our IR EBS technology enables low-power, high-speed sensing, allowing autonomous rovers to navigate in low-visibility conditions, such as darkness, dust, and thermal extremes. Additionally, AMCW LiDAR provides real-time 3D terrain mapping, ensuring precise hazard detection for safe landings, particularly in the rugged terrain of the Moon’s south pole. These innovations improve the operational reliability of both crewed and robotic landers. Beyond mobility, our technology supports infrastructure development and resource utilization (ISRU) for long-term lunar habitation. High-precision LiDAR depth sensing aids in surface mapping for habitat placement, construction planning, and resource extraction. Both sensor platforms are engineered to withstand cryogenic temperatures and radiation exposure, ensuring long-duration performance in the harsh lunar environment. For deep-space and planetary exploration, SenseICs’ sensors enable autonomous hazard avoidance and high-SNR navigation in GPS-denied environments, benefiting future Mars rovers and asteroid exploration missions. Designed for minimal computational load, these technologies enhance robotic efficiency and extend operational lifespans on distant celestial bodies. By addressing NASA’s need for resilient, low-power, high-performance sensing, our innovations provide a critical foundation for sustained exploration, safety, and mission success across multiple planetary and deep-space initiatives. SenseICs’ radiation-hardened infrared (IR) event-based sensor (EBS) technology and high-frame-rate Amplitude Modulated Continuous Wave (AMCW) LiDAR offer broad commercialization potential across defense, aerospace, industrial automation, and autonomous systems markets. In defense and national security, our IR EBS technology provides low-power, high-speed sensing for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) applications. The ability to detect and track targets in low-visibility conditions (e.g., darkness, smoke, and thermal clutter) enhances autonomous situational awareness, supporting unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), autonomous ground systems, and missile defense applications. For aerospace and space exploration, our sensors support lunar surface mobility, planetary exploration, and hazard detection. AMCW LiDAR’s ability to generate real-time 3D maps is valuable for autonomous landers, asteroid mining, and in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), creating opportunities for government contracts and private space ventures developing infrastructure for sustained lunar and Martian presence. In commercial markets, AMCW LiDAR offers high-speed, high-precision depth sensing for autonomous navigation in robotics, automotive LiDAR, and industrial automation. Its low-power, high-SNR performance makes it ideal for warehouse automation, smart cities, and infrastructure monitoring, where real-time 3D mapping and perception are essential. By leveraging these core innovations, SenseICs can enter dual-use commercial and defense markets, securing partnerships with government agencies, aerospace contractors, and private industry leaders in autonomous systems, robotics, and space technology.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.