Miniature Device that Would Help Cover Vehicle Blind Spots

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A new miniature radar launched recently is designed for use in autonomous vehicles. and could also be helpful for drones and robots.

The Moscow-based company Cognitive Pilot said that its Mini Radar is in the pre-industrial stage of production preparation.

It can provide accurate velocities, direction, and coordinates of road-scene objects in any weather conditions at any time of day or night, unlike some lidar, which is affected by sunlight or precipitation.

The company began developing its Mini Radar in 2019, along with its other products for agricultural machinery and trains. It has been designed as a compact, affordable, and accessible model that can be embedded in other devices, according to therobotreport.com.

The new radar is a fully functioning 3D sensor and is the length of a toothpick and weighs only 40g (1.4 oz.). One model operates between 77 and 81 GHz, and another at 60 to 64 GHz.

The sensor has an operating distance of up to 100m (328 ft.).

Use cases include primarily the monitoring of the space around a vehicle’s perimeter. Along with other sensors, it can help cover blind spots and detect people and other vehicles while changing lanes, at intersections, and during parking.

It is small enough to be used in small unmanned aerial systems (sUASes) and robots and could enable drones to avoid collisions and be useful for robotic deliveries and security.