Remote Sensing Technology Gets More Compact

This post is also available in: עברית (Hebrew)

There aren’t many suitable small and lightweight lidar systems for remote sensing for small unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles performing obstacle avoidance or mapping. A new compact sensor that can be embedded within vehicles, robots, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), infrastructure and more may solve this problem.

Velodyne Lidar has unveiled Velabi, its smallest sensor which brings new levels of versatility and affordability to 3D lidar perception. 

The Velabit addresses the cost, safety and design challenges of autonomous solutions while delivering strong sensor performance. It also enables an advanced GPS-denied HD mapping.

It is designed to be easy to manufacture at mass production levels. According to the company website, the sensor advances its mission to make high-quality 3D lidar sensors readily accessible to everyone.

Leading features of Velabit include compact structure that is smaller than deck of playing cards, and outstanding field of view (FoV), among others.

The Velabit is engineered to be an optimal automotive grade lidar solution for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles. It enables robust perception coverage for Blind-Spot Monitoring, Cross Traffic Detection, Automatic Emergency Braking, and Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety. 

Highly configurable for customer application, this mid-range sensor can be combined with other Velodyne lidar sensors, for high-speed operation or function as a standalone lidar solution in low-speed applications.