Neptec Design Group
Encyclopedia
Neptec Design Group is an Ottawa
based, Canadian vision systems company, providing machine vision solutions for space, industrial, and military applications. Privately owned and founded in 1990, Neptec is a NASA
prime contractor, supplying operational systems
to both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. Starting in 2000, Neptec began expanding its technology to include active 3D imaging systems and 3D processing software. This work led directly to the development of Neptec's Laser Camera System
, which is an operational system used by NASA
to inspect the shuttle's external surfaces during flight. Building on Laser Camera System technology, Neptec has also developed a 3D imaging and tracking system designed for automated on-orbit rendezvous, inspection and docking. The TriDAR
combines a high precision, short range triangulation sensor with a long range LIDAR
sensor into the same optical path
.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
based, Canadian vision systems company, providing machine vision solutions for space, industrial, and military applications. Privately owned and founded in 1990, Neptec is a NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
prime contractor, supplying operational systems
Advanced Space Vision System
The Advanced Space Vision System is a computer vision system designed primarily for International Space Station assembly...
to both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. Starting in 2000, Neptec began expanding its technology to include active 3D imaging systems and 3D processing software. This work led directly to the development of Neptec's Laser Camera System
Laser Camera System
Neptec Design Group's Laser Camera System is short-range, high precision autosynchronous triangulation scanner —– or more simply, a very sensitive, highly accurate 3D scanner...
, which is an operational system used by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to inspect the shuttle's external surfaces during flight. Building on Laser Camera System technology, Neptec has also developed a 3D imaging and tracking system designed for automated on-orbit rendezvous, inspection and docking. The TriDAR
TriDAR
TriDAR, or Triangulation and LIDAR Automated Rendezvous and Docking, is a relative navigation vision system developed by Neptec Design Group and funded by the Canadian Space Agency and NASA. It provides guidance information that can be used to guide an unmanned vehicle during rendezvous and...
combines a high precision, short range triangulation sensor with a long range LIDAR
LIDAR
LIDAR is an optical remote sensing technology that can measure the distance to, or other properties of a target by illuminating the target with light, often using pulses from a laser...
sensor into the same optical path
Optical path
The path that light takes in traversing an optical system is often called the optical path. The physical length of an optical device can be reduced to less than the length of the optical path by using folded optics. The optical path length as defined in optics is the length of the path multiplied...
.