Device for determining the position of an object, particularly a water craft

摘要

This device exhibits an active optical range finder and an angle measuring device measuring the angular deviation of the range finder from a reference point. To provide for automatic tracking of the range finder aimed at the object to be measured when the object is moving, the range finder (18) is arranged to be rotatable about a vertical axis (26) and can be driven by a motor actuator (28). The transmitter (19) of the range finder (18) is designed in such a manner that it emits a transmitting beam which is sharply focused in the horizontal direction and which can be periodically rotated in the horizontal direction over a predeterminable range. The instantaneous deflection of the transmitted beam from the optical axis of the transmitter (19) which exists when a light echo is received in the receiver is converted into a control voltage for the actuator (28) by a closed-loop control circuit (34). <IMAGE>