Ibeo and SICK Partner to Develop a Large-Scale Industrial 3D Solid-State LiDAR Sensor
SICK announced a partnership with ibeo to bring the latest, most reliable LiDAR technology to the industrial market.
SICK is a world leader in leveraging machine vision and safety sensors to provide industrial solutions for applications such as material handling, logistics, packaging, and more. Ibeo, in addition to their LiDAR technology, develops software and other tools in support of autonomous and automated driving, including environmental detection, localization, and mapping applications.
The small but powerful ibeoNEXT Measurement Core could find new applications beyond its original autonomous driving applications thanks to a partnership with SICK. Image courtesy of Ibeo.
The partnership between Ibeo and SICK will result in robust, highly effective 3D solid-state LiDAR systems for industrial applications that include mobile autonomous robots. Ibeo brings their ibeoNEXT Measurement Core to the table, while SICK will develop the application software and system design needed to use ibeoNEXT for industrial solutions.
ibeoNEXT Measurement Core
The ibeoNEXT Measurement Core uses a new photon laser measurement technology that can determine 10,000 distance values (at both medium and long ranges) from each high-resolution 3D measurement—even in the presence of precipitation, high levels of vibration, and shock. The LiDAR technology provides a 260m range and a very high spatial resolution of 0.05 degrees.
The ibeoNEXT sensor is comprised of a transceiver and receiver unit with 80 rows and 128 columns. Using sequential flashing, the sensor scans the environment row by row, with each scan containing thousands of measurements, which are then used to generate the 3D point cloud.
In addition to the 3D point cloud, it generates a black-and-white intensity image providing four-dimensional detection of its surroundings. The transceiver uses 10,240 lasers, while the driver operates at 25 Hz.
It is also worthy of note that the ibeoNEXT is a solid-state device using a pure semiconductor solution with no moving parts, thus enhancing its reliability. It has a light-weight, compact design (with a footprint smaller than a credit card), allowing it to easily integrate into various systems.
Applications
The ibeoNEXT LiDAR system was designed to meet the rigorous standards related to autonomous driving, both in terms of accuracy and ruggedness. Through the new partnership with SICK, it can also be used in many industrial settings, including those with harsh environments.
There is an increasing need for autonomous mobile solutions in industrial environments, and the ibeoNEXT can serve as an integral part of the future of such solutions. Image courtesy of SICK.
It can address the growing need for autonomous and semi-autonomous mobile solutions in diverse industries beyond transportation by providing more powerful LiDAR technology for applications such as automated logistics, packaging, and material handling. Potential industries include healthcare manufacturing, recycling, building security, chemical processing, and more.
The partnership between SICK and ibeo is the largest LiDAR cooperation agreement to date. It promises to significantly impact the future of autonomous mobile solutions in a wide range of applications in industrial environments.
