/// LiDAR TECHNOLOGY\\\


autonomous horizon


LiDAR is gaining traction as the means to provide autonomous vehicles with an awareness of their surroundings


P


ulsed laser-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors have been ear- marked for some time as the technol-


ogy of choice to give autonomous vehicles (AVs) a sense of their surroundings. With rapid mapping capabilities and the ability to pro- cess millions of mapping points a second, LiDAR has the capability of building a com- puter-readable topological map of changing environments within its field of view. This ability allows it to detect such things as


road edges, pedestrians and other vehicles. In its initial phases, drawbacks included size, accuracy and detection reliability. Yet the technology has matured and is now finding more mainstream use across a range of au- tomotive applications. Principal amongst the LiDAR suppliers is Cal-


ifornia-based Velodyne, which has been pur- suing end-use cases since its infancy and has played a significant role in perfecting the tech- nology to the point where it has become more attractive to automotive manufacturers.


Airport transport \\\ A recent application for Velodyne’s well-


established Ultra Puck sensors saw them being integrated on ThorDrive autonomous cargo and baggage ground support tractors in an AV project at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG). In 2019, CVG, the seventh largest cargo air- port in North America, handled over 1.2 million tonnes of cargo and baggage for more than nine million passengers. By using ThorDrive’s trucks, airlines are able to autonomously trans- port baggage and cargo to and from planes and throughout the facilities at any time. ThorDrive chose Ultra Puck because the


sensor’s patented 3D surround view provides the real-time object detection needed for safe, efficient navigation and dependable op- eration. The Ultra Puck enables the AVs to use existing infrastructure and they can operate in harsh weather, day and night. ThorDrive’s VP of business development, Edward Shelton, is an advocate of the LiDAR


4 /// DAQ, Sensors & Instrumentation \\\ 2021


LiDAR extends


LiDAR sensors have become slimmer and more effective, offering more opportunity for use in mainstream automotive applications, above right; ThorDrive is using LiDAR technology to bring greater autonomy to airport ground


operations, above; the Ultra Puck from Velodyne provides the sensing requirements for ThorDrive


approach. According to him, the ThorDrive software is tuned to the Velodyne sensors’ state-of-the-art capabilities, advancing airline logistics and future applications for au- tonomous airport ground operations tech- nology. “In working with Velodyne, we are able to move towards the future of moving cargo, equipment and materials,” he says.


Advancing detection \\\ Airport ground operations represent a com-


plex detection environment and is also a good development sand-pit as vehicles are rela- tively slow moving and aesthetics is not a prime consideration. The Ultra Puck has come a long way since the early “spinning bucket” style LiDAR sen- sors. It is small and can be positioned unob- trusively on the vehicle. Nonetheless, Velodyne has moved the technology onwards and this summer it announced its next gen- eration Velabit sensor. The Velabit reduces the visual profile of the sensor considerably, al- lowing it blend in with the styling of most ve-


hicles. According to Velodyne, the Velabit sensor addresses the design challenges of au- tonomous applications while delivering state- of-the-art performance.


Equipped with


Velodyne’s proprietary micro-LiDAR array ar- chitecture (MLA), the Velabit provides an ultra- wide field of view (FoV) and higher resolution. The solid-state sensor has a simultaneously


achievable maximum horizontal and vertical FoV of 90° and 70° respectively, about three times more points a second than the previ- ous model. The next generation Velabit offers a configurable and dynamic field of view and delivers high-resolution zoom capability, all within a compact and lightweight sensor.


Vehicle integration \\\ Engineered to be an optimal automotive-


grade LiDAR sensor for advanced driver as- sist systems (ADAS) and AVs, Velabit can fill sensing gaps, helping automotive manufac- turers achieve full coverage around a vehicle. The sensor enables robust perception cover- age for ADAS features including blind-spot monitoring, cross-traffic detection, and pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB). Additionally, the wide vertical field of view makes this an ideal technology for near- field sensing and robotics applications. The sensor integrates with Velodyne’s Vella,


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