Unmanned Systems Technology 036

Sense Photonics has developed a global shutter flash Lidar with a range of 200 m (writes Nick Flaherty). It uses an array of 15,000 vertical laser pixels operating at 940 nm and printed on a flexible substrate to produce the laser light. The backside illuminated array of 14,000 single-photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) picks up the returning light. The global shutter on the sensor acquires all the signals in one frame. This removes the need for complex motion blur correction, while allowing pixel-level, frame- by-frame fusion with RGB camera data. The flash architecture also eliminates the need for fine alignment between emitter and receiver, maintaining sensor calibration and depth accuracy during shock and vibration for driverless vehicles. The architecture is designed as a platform to allow for customer-specific product variations with a simple change in optics, and is the first to be able to provide both short- and long-range capabilities from the same architecture. Customer evaluation systems will be available in the middle of this year to meet current demand, with production planned to start in late 2024. Long-range global Lidar Sensors The Lidar is printed on a flexible substrate to reduce its cost What do robotics and Rajant’s network have in common? Intelligence. Autonomy. Freedom to Move . That’s why Rajant Kinetic Mesh® is the choice to deliver mission-critical connectivity for the most mobile autonomous vehicles, drones, and robotics platforms. Autonomously self-optimizing network intelligently reacts to change in real-time Works peer-to-peer to maintain ‘never break’ mobility, even at high speeds The only private wireless solution enabling machine-to-machine communications Learn more at rajant.com/unmannedsystems Industrial Wireless Networks Unleashed. IF IT’S MOVING, IT’S RAJANT.