High speed range map obtaining in a triangulation range finder for mobile robots

We present a new way to approach obtaining the range map in triangulation range finders. Among the advantages that it presents is that it avoids A/D conversion of the signal provided by the image sensor and posterior complex digital signal processing. The main idea is to use analog circuits to directly detect the pixel with maximum light intensity. Synchronization signals provided by the camera are used to locate the pixel coordinates, which are directly transformed into distance information. This new ranging system will be used in a mobile robot (RWI B21 model).