A review of the current research status of deep-sea LiDAR detection technology

Abstract

LiDAR detection technology, characterized by high spatial resolution, strong directionality, and fast response, has become an important technical means for marine bathymetry, underwater target identification, interconnection of deep-sea nodes, and seabed environmental sensing. In recent years, with the development of high-sensitivity detectors, miniaturized optomechanical systems, and high-speed deep-sea optical links, deep-sea LiDAR technology has gradually advanced from the stage of feasibility verification to the stage of system integration and scenario-oriented application. Current frontier research mainly focuses, on the one hand, on optimizing deep-water detection and imaging performance within the 532 nm blue-green optical window, and, on the other hand, on introducing single-photon detection, array-based reception, and high-speed data links to enhance detection capability under weak-return conditions and to improve the level of engineering deployment. Overall, the parallel development of mature and emerging devices, together with the gradual integration of sensing links and communication links, has become a major characteristic of this field. This paper reviews the detector routes, platform capabilities, and key challenges of deep-sea LiDAR, and, with the aid of two representative tables, provides a systematic overview of current research progress and future development directions.