In the evolving world of drone technology, selecting the right components is crucial to delivering precision, reliability, and cost-efficiency. For SmartDrone, one of the most important decisions was selecting the ideal LiDAR sensor for our Discovery platform. Here’s a look at the rigorous evaluation process, the options we considered, and why our final choice sets us apart from the competition.
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What Did We Look for When Evaluating LiDAR Sensors?
When choosing a LiDAR solution for our Discovery drones, three key criteria guided our decision-making:
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Performance: High-accuracy data capture, even in challenging environmental conditions, was non-negotiable.
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Cost: The sensor needed to be affordable, ensuring the platform remained accessible to surveyors, small firms, and other professionals.
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Reliability: Durability and consistent performance in the field were essential for maintaining client trust and minimizing operational disruptions.
Through conversations with surveyors and potential customers, we identified a critical barrier: many believed LiDAR systems were either too fragile or too expensive to risk flying. This insight motivated us to find a solution that combined affordability and ruggedness while delivering the high precision our clients demand.
Exploring the LiDAR Landscape
Over the past few years, LiDAR technology has advanced rapidly, offering more choices than ever. Let’s break down the three primary types of LiDAR we evaluated, along with their pros and cons:
1. Analog LiDAR
Analog LiDAR has long been the industry standard for high-accuracy mapping. However, it comes with notable drawbacks:
- Advantages: Established reliability and excellent performance in ideal conditions.
- Drawbacks: Analog systems are bulky, expensive, and require frequent recalibration. They are also more susceptible to environmental interference, making them less suited for rugged field use.
2. VCSEL (Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser) Chip-Based LiDAR
This emerging technology combines innovation with practicality:
- Advantages: Lightweight, compact, and cost-effective for mass production. It handles environmental challenges better than analog systems.
- Drawbacks: While it excels in durability and efficiency, its range and accuracy can fall short compared to analog systems in some cases.
3. MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems)-Based LiDAR
MEMS-based systems are known for their adaptability:
- Advantages: Compact and lightweight, with impressive range and accuracy.
- Drawbacks: These systems are generally more expensive and can have limitations in extreme environments.
Why SmartDrone Chose VCSEL-Based LiDAR
After a thorough evaluation, we selected VCSEL-based LiDAR technology, specifically Ouster’s sensors, for our Discovery platform. Here’s why:
- Balance of Performance and Cost: VCSEL technology provides survey-grade accuracy at a competitive price point.
- Durability: The compact design and robust construction ensure it can handle the rigors of fieldwork without compromising performance.
- Scalability: The cost-effectiveness of VCSEL-based sensors allows us to keep the Discovery platform accessible to firms of all sizes, empowering smaller surveyors to adopt advanced drone technology.
By tailoring the integration of VCSEL LiDAR with our high-accuracy INS and proprietary Pulse Processor software, we achieved a sub-0.2” spot ground elevation tolerance. This ensures unparalleled accuracy for a wide range of mapping applications.
Why This Decision Matters to Investors
SmartDrone’s decision to adopt VCSEL-based LiDAR technology reflects our commitment to innovation and market leadership. Here’s why this is significant for our investors:
- Market Differentiation: By being among the first to integrate VCSEL LiDAR for UAV mapping, we’ve positioned ourselves as a leader in accessible, high-accuracy drone solutions.
- Scalable Growth: This choice allows us to address the needs of a growing market, particularly smaller firms and industries transitioning to advanced technology.
- Cost Efficiency: The integration of VCSEL technology lowers operational costs, making our platform more competitive and increasing its market appeal.
- Broader Applications: Beyond land surveying, our solution is well-suited for industries like construction, environmental monitoring, and real estate, creating diverse revenue streams.
By pioneering this adaptation, SmartDrone continues to expand its reach while maintaining a focus on cost-efficiency and customer-centric innovation.
Final Thoughts
SmartDrone’s approach to selecting LiDAR technology goes beyond technical specifications. It’s about understanding the needs of our clients and the challenges they face and then delivering a solution that empowers them to succeed. The integration of VCSEL-based LiDAR technology in our Discovery platform exemplifies our mission to make advanced drone technology accessible, reliable, and impactful.
For investors, this decision underscores SmartDrone’s forward-thinking approach and commitment to scalable growth in a rapidly expanding industry. By aligning innovation with market needs, we’re setting the stage for long-term success and leadership in the drone sector.
Invest in SmartDrone today and be part of the American Drone Revolution:
With an array of LiDAR sensors available in the market, featuring different capabilities and specifications, picking the right one for a specific application can get overwhelming.
A Guide to Selecting the Right LiDAR Sensors
Article from | Hokuyo
Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology is a popular remote sensing method to measure the exact relative distance of objects on the earth's surface. The technology was conceived in the s and has undergone numerous improvements.
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Since its invention, LiDARs have been widely used in forestry, surveying, and mapping. But today, they have turned into a popular unit of autonomous vehicles, robot applications, mining, and infrastructural inspection.
With an array of LiDAR sensors available in the market, featuring different capabilities and specifications, picking the right one for a specific application can get overwhelming.
Read on to find out important considerations when selecting a LiDAR sensor for your application and explore the popular LiDAR classifications to make the right choice.
LiDAR Considerations for Different Applications
Short and Close Range Vs. Long-Range
Long-range LiDARs are expensive and have a range beyond 100 meters. For example, long-range LiDARs are suitable for faster-moving navigating vehicles and detecting objects within mid to long ranges.
A short-range LiDAR detects objects within 25 meters and is well-suited for slow-moving vehicles.
Close-range LiDARs can quickly identify objects in close vicinity. For instance, a close-range LiDAR can identify obstacles near a vehicle's doors.
Better results are attained when you combine a long or short-range LiDAR with a close-range one.
3D vs. 2D
2D LiDARs identify an object and give the robot or vehicle a 'something is there' idea within the range.
3D LiDARs provide a more intricate point cloud that helps to understand the object's shape, size, and depth. The difference between 2D and 3D lies in the type of information obtained from them.
Field of View (FoV)
FoV is measured independently through the horizontal and vertical axis. An autonomous vehicle or robot usually has one or more LiDARs with a 270-degree plus field of view.
Number of Channels
The number of channels determines the density and details of the point cloud. A higher number of channels will deliver a denser yet more comprehensive point cloud and vice versa. Your processing capabilities, budget, objects' size, and their relative distances determine your choice of the number of channels.
The Remission Levels
Since LiDAR technology uses light pulses, its accuracy and range depend considerably on an object's reflectivity (the amount of light being reflected back from it), also termed Remission. It is expressed in percentages. For example, white drywall would have approximately 90 percent remission, while a piece of coal would possess a remission rate of 5 percent.
Points Per Second (PPS)
Points Per Second shows the number of laser measurements taken per second. The higher the number of points, the higher the details, density, and accuracy of point clouds.
Safety Vs. Non-Safety Rated
When choosing LiDAR sensors, it is also critical to make your selection based on the sensor's safety ratings. Safety-rated sensors are necessary for applications where there is a potential risk to humans. The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and The American National Standard Institute (ANSI) have issued norms and standards to regulate the safety of LiDAR sensors. The IEC standard, for instance, specifies the criteria for Electro-Sensitive Protective Equipment (ESPE) construction and testing.
The ESPE levels are determined based on the risk associated with the machinery or the process used within the industry. Similarly, the Safety Integrity Level 2 (SIL2) or ISO -1 is a standard used to specify the functional safety of the LiDAR sensors. For example, Hokuyo's UAM-05LP sensor is rated for personnel safety and conforms to IEC-1/3, Type3 IEC, SIL2 ISO-1, and PL d Category3. These sensors also have data output capabilities that can be used for obstacle detection and localization on autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) as well as automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
In processes where human interaction is less involved, you can consider non-safety-rated sensors. While these sensors have similar capabilities, they do not carry the full CAT 3, Sil2 safety standards. For example, Hokuyo's UST and UTM series LiDARs are standalone sensors that offer 2D data output for mapping, navigation, and localization and are suitable for applications that have reduced human involvement.
Picking the Right LiDAR Sensors
Depending on your application, you might not need a LiDAR sensor but a comprehensive mapping solution. It is important to understand that LiDAR can provide you with a point cloud, but for efficient deciphering, you may need time stamping, localization, and other fruitful data.
In such cases, you may want to consider comprehensive sensor technology solutions that combine LiDARs, Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs), Global Positioning Systems (GPS), software, and cameras.
At Hokuyo, we help obtain distance data for presence detection, spatial recognition, and area monitoring through our range of LiDAR sensors.
Explore our range of LiDAR sensors or contact us to get assistance in selecting the right LiDAR sensor for your autonomous robotics application.
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The content & opinions in this article are the author’s and do not necessarily represent the views of RoboticsTomorrow