I am interested in using a cheap LiDAR module for an outdoor robot I am building. The LiDAR modules that I am looking at are not waterproof and I was wondering how hard it would be to build a waterproof case and how much that would impact performance. If anyone has experience related to this and can give some advise that would be greatly appreciated.
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So I just found this in the Sweep LiDAR datasheet(https://s3.amazonaws.com/scanse/Sweep_user_manual.pdf).
Sweep uses 905nm laser light, which passes through several kinds of clear glass and plastic very well. Based on our testing, clear Polycarbonate plastic is one of the best choices, as it can be molded to fit the profile of the application’s enclosure, is very inexpensive, and in most cases,is more than 95% translucent to Sweep’s light beam.
Factors that can affect the performance of a window are:
Thickness of the window. Thicker windows will block more light, as well as bend the light more if the beam is not hitting the window normal to the surface.
Scratches and dust. The presence of scratches and dust on the window will scatter the laser light, and may reflect some of the light back into the sensor’s detector, causing measurement errors.
Surface coatings. There are a variety of coatings that can help with the performance of windows. One is an anti-reflective (AR) coating, which can help reduce the amount of laser light that is reflected as it passes through the window’s surface.
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2$\begingroup$ Except thicker flat windows will not "bend" the light more. It may result in an offset if the incidence is oblique, though I am not sure if that's a problem or not. $\endgroup$– uhohSep 26, 2017 at 6:34