LightWare LiDAR, the US-based company specialising in the design and manufacture of sensors for autonomous vehicles and machines, has introduced SF45 scanning microLiDAR.
According to the company, this is by far the smallest and lightest scanning LiDAR and weighs about 59 grams though delivering the performance of much larger sensors.
One of the key advantages of microLiDAR sensors is that they are not cameras and do not invade the public's privacy. This is becoming more important as autonomous vehicles and other machines begin to work alongside people in their daily lives.
To complement the SF45, LightWare LiDAR manufactures a family of microLiDAR sensors such as the tiny SF000/B (only eight gram). Data from these sensors allow drones a safe take-off and precision landing to hold position near an object being inspected or closely follow terrain without flying into trees.
According to the company, the microLiDAR family is compatible with standard autopilots (Ardupilot/PX4), and API's are provided for custom controllers, such as RaspberryPi and Arduino.
Philip Constantine, CEO, LightWare LiDAR, said the SF45 democratises machine perception, bringing vision, safety, and practicality to even the smallest unmanned systems. For example, machines don't have 3D perception, so they can't understand unexpected obstacles.
The SF45 enables a whole new world of applications by providing accurate position, distance and proximity sensing to drones and UGVs. Able to detect obstacles in bright sunlight at 50m, the SF45 delivers a clear understanding of the machine's environment to either the onboard autopilot or a remote operator.
'Conventional GPS is often relied upon to provide location information so a drone can follow a pre-determined flight plan. Unfortunately, the real world puts unexpected obstacles in the way. This leads to collisions and the loss of both the drone and its expensive payload. The SF45 keeps a continuous lookout for these hazards and warns of potential collisions, giving the autopilot plenty of time to react,' Constantine added.