Development of a beam-guided laser detection module for absolute ranging

In large-scale metrology, when multiple instruments are used, the measuring field space can be large and the targets can be scattered. However, fixed-pointing distance measurement can limit flexibility. Therefore, there is an urgent need to improve automation and efficiency. This paper proposes a beam-guided laser detection module for absolute ranging that combines camera recognition and position-sensitive detection. The module uses a dual-axis fast steering mirror (FSM) driven by a compact field-programmable gate array (FPGA) to change the beam direction. The angular range for beam guiding is larger than ±20°. The mechanical structure and software are detailed introduced in the paper. This module can be directly combined with an absolute ranging system, such as frequency scanning interferometry or dual-comb ranging. It is expected that these systems will find broader applications in the industrial and geodetic survey fields.