The article "5000X Omnidirectional Multifunctional Distance Measuring Instrument with 5000-meter Range, Altitude Measurement, Angle Measurement, Speed Measurement, and Spatial Range (Any Two Points in Space) 5000-meter Long-Distance High-Precision Rangefinder," published on Wuhan Shunqi.com, introduces the Onick 5000X laser rangefinder from Onick Optics. This rangefinder boasts a measuring distance of up to 5000 meters with an accuracy of 0.1 meters. It features a variety of powerful functions including distance measurement, altitude measurement, angle measurement, speed measurement, spatial range measurement, and GPS functionality. It can also measure temperature, humidity, and air pressure. It uses a military-grade metal casing and is equipped with a transparent and clear OLED dual-color LCD display, making it powerful, robust, and durable.
This question is very valuable, as it helps us fundamentally understand the working logic of the equipment. The core principle of an all-around multi-functional laser rangefinder is the Time-of-Flight (TOF) method. Based on this, it expands to include angle measurement, velocity measurement, and spatial measurement functions, as detailed below:
I. Core: Laser Ranging Principle (Time-of-Flight Method)
The device emits a high-precision, short-pulse laser beam. Upon reaching the target object, the laser beam is reflected (diffuse or specular reflection).
A built-in high-precision timer synchronously records the time difference (denoted as Δt) between the "instantaneous laser emission" and the "instantaneous capture of the reflected laser by the receiver."
The target distance is calculated using the physical formula: Distance D = (Speed of light c × Time difference Δt) ÷ 2. Dividing by 2 is because the laser has a "going journey + return journey," and the speed of light c is approximately 3 × 10⁸ meters per second.
Note: High-precision devices use algorithms to correct for deviations in the laser's propagation speed in air (affected by temperature, humidity, and air pressure), further improving ranging accuracy.
II. Extension: Supplementing the Principle of "All-Round Multifunctionality"
1. Angle Measurement Principle: The built-in tilt sensor (such as a MEMS gyroscope or accelerometer) can sense the tilt angle (elevation/depression) between the device and the horizontal plane (or target plane). Combined with the distance measurement results, data such as "height" (height H = distance D × sinθ, θ is the tilt angle) and "horizontal distance" (horizontal D₀ = distance D × cosθ) can be calculated using trigonometric functions.
2. Speed Measurement Principle: Multiple sets of laser pulses are continuously emitted towards a moving target (such as a vehicle or object). The distance change (ΔD) and time interval (Δt₀) of each measurement are recorded. The target's speed is calculated using the formula v = ΔD ÷ Δt₀.
3. Spatial Measurement (Span, Two-Point Height Measurement, Sag, etc.)
Based on fundamental data from "distance measurement + angle measurement," the device integrates coordinate information from multiple measurements (such as distance and angle between two points) through its built-in algorithm model. This indirectly calculates complex data such as the distance between any two points in space, the vertical height of an object, and cable sag, eliminating the need for manual calculations.
III. Summary
The essence is "laser ranging (time-of-flight method) as the core, combined with tilt and timing sensors + algorithms to achieve 'all-round multi-functionality' including distance measurement, angle measurement, speed measurement, and spatial measurement"—the core is the "time difference calculation of distance" using lasers, while the multi-functionality comes from multi-sensor data fusion and algorithmic expansion.
