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93 SoCalGas plans to use DS30s in natural gas pipeline inspections, given its capability to monitor a mile-long pipeline in a single flight, as well as videoing construction sites, working conditions and potential pipeline routes. In particular, the UAV’s demonstration will provide a level of close-up digital imagery for locations that are difficult or hazardous for human workers to access, and also enable imagery for aerial mapping and 3D topographic models for analysis of terrain surrounding SoCalGas’ operations. It will also contribute towards SoCalGas’ aim of becoming net-zero in its operations and energy delivery by 2045. Other partners will work with DMI and SoCalGas in a larger project on advancing the case for hydrogen as a renewable and cost-efficient fuel for multiple applications (including UAVs) alongside those in clean stationary power. Lumotive and ZKW Group presented a demonstration of the former’s solid-state Lidar technology integrated with one of the latter’s vehicle headlights. Combined, the solution enables a product for road illumination with a built-in 3D sensing capability for safety and autonomy. Lumotive’s Meta-Lidar 3D laser sensor platform is intended to provide a more compact and cost-effective alternative to conventional Lidars. As a result, the M30 module that forms the core of the Meta-Lidar was able to fit inside the ZKW headlight in this demonstration. That it is able to do so is thanks to Lumotive’s Light Control Metasurface (LCM) solid-state beam steering chips, which reduce the complexity, cost and size of Lidar systems while improving performance and aiding reliable operations inside the headlamp. LCM chips are manufactured using well-established CMOS semiconductor processes, and are described as enabling a software-defined Lidar capability, in which the Lidar scan pattern, frame rate and resolution could be customised for specific use cases in real time. The M30 has a range of up to 20 m, a field of view of 120 º x 90 º and consumes just under 6 W. It is the first in a series of products based on the Meta-Lidar platform, which is expected to cater for a range of applications that require sensing ranges up to 200 m, including autonomous driving. Immervision has begun collaborating with LeddarTech to produce intelligent sensing automotive solutions combining the former’s vision sensors, algorithms and data fusion with the latter’s Lidar systems. The resulting products are expected to increase vehicle perception capabilities to the degree required for next-generation ADAS and autonomous vehicles, particularly in harsh environmental and limited visibility conditions such as rain, snow, fog, darkness and high brightness. Guangzhou-based Asensing Technology demonstrated its HD- MapBox, a mapping application integrating high-precision mapping and positioning data for achieving lane- level positioning and 1-plus mile (2 km) predictive cruise control. This is intended to provide a decision basis for advanced ADAS and autonomous driving vehicles. Situ Chunhui said, “High-precision positioning is of great importance for integrating positioning technology based on IMUs, GNSS signals, visual perception systems and HD maps. It is becoming the preferred choice over alternative approaches due to higher accuracy and improved redundancy as well as an enhanced passing rate in all scenarios.” Using data fusion of the GNSS, IMU, ADAS camera, vehicle dynamics and HD map, the HD-MapBox is intended to avoid single points of failure in lane- Unmanned Systems Technology | April/May 2022 Lumotive’s solid-state Lidar integrated with a ZKW Group headlight