Personal LADAR sensor

1. A ladar sensor assembly comprising:

a semiconductor laser configured to produce a modulated laser light;

a diffusing optic for illuminating a field of view utilizing the modulated laser light from said semiconductor laser;

a lens configured to receive the modulated laser light reflected off at least one object in the field of view;

an array of light sensitive detectors configured to receive the modulated laser light received by said lens, each of said light sensitive detectors with an output producing an electrical response signal from the reflected modulated laser light output;

a readout integrated circuit with a plurality of unit cell electrical circuits, each of said unit cell electrical circuits having an input connected to one of said light sensitive detector outputs, each said unit cell electrical circuit having an electrical response signal demodulator with a demodulator output;

a radome housing said array of light sensitive detectors and including at least one transparent surface adapted to receive light at the wavelength; and

at least one piezoelectric actuator operatively connected to said lens for dynamically positioning a focal plane of the received modulated laser light on said array of light sensitive detectors.

2. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lens is further defined as a microfluidic lens defining a periphery and having a compression region at said periphery.

3. The assembly as set forth in claim 2 wherein said at least one piezoelectric actuator is operatively connected to said compression region of said lens.

4. The assembly as set forth in claim 3 further comprising at least one actuator plate operatively connected between said at least one piezoelectric actuator and said compression region.

5. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said compression region is sandwiched between at least two actuator plates.

6. The assembly as set forth in claim 4 wherein said at least one piezoelectric actuator is arranged as a bellows.

7. The assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein said at least one piezoelectric actuator includes a plurality of piezoelectric sheets.

8. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said array of light sensitive detectors is mounted directly to said readout integrated circuit.

9. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said array of light sensitive detectors is formed on the surface of said readout integrated circuit using at least one compound containing quantum dots.

10. The assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said array of light sensitive detectors is formed on a surface of said readout integrated circuit using a plurality of nanostructures.

11. An apparatus for personal scene detection comprising:

a personal ladar sensor with a field of view and a wavelength of operation having

a semiconductor laser with a laser light output digitally modulated using a Barker code, and a diffusing optic for illuminating a scene in the field of view of said personal ladar sensor,

a zero reference circuit having a zero range reference output, and the zero range reference output indicating the time of emission of said laser light output,

a two dimensional array of light sensitive detectors positioned at a focal plane of a light collecting and focusing system, each of said light sensitive detectors with an output producing an electrical response signal from a reflected portion of said laser light output,

a readout integrated circuit with a plurality of unit cell electrical circuits, each of said unit cell electrical circuits having an input connected to one of said light sensitive detector outputs, each said unit cell electrical circuit having an electrical response signal demodulator with a demodulator output, and a range measuring circuit connected to said demodulator output, said range measuring circuit further connected to said zero range reference output, and each range measuring circuit having a range output adapted to provide a range measurement derived from the demodulator output and the zero range reference output,

and said readout integrated circuit further having an output control section

adapted to select a unit cell range output, and output a range measurement,

a detector bias circuit connected to at least one voltage distribution grid of said array of light sensitive detectors, and a temperature stabilized frequency reference;

said personal ladar sensor mounted inside a radome attached to a personal electronic device, said radome comprising at least one transparent surface adapted to transmit light at said wavelength of operation.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said personal electronic device is selected from the set comprising a cell phone, a handheld personal digital assistant (PDA), a still camera, a video camera, a headgear, a helmet, a portable computer, a tablet computer.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said personal electronic device further comprises a voice communications link.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said personal electronic device further comprises a visual feedback device.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said visual feedback device comprises a flat panel display.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said personal electronic device further comprises a visible light camera.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said semiconductor laser is a vertical cavity surface emitting laser.

18. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said two dimensional array of light sensitive detectors is mounted directly to said readout integrated circuit.