A leader in digital processing for safety sensors, Phantom Intelligence has proudly announced the launch of the first compact digital flash LiDAR sensor on the market.
The new LiDAR sensor, named Guardian, was officially unveiled at TU-Automotive Detroit conference and exhibition.
The sensor is very small (78 x 37 x 48mm / 3.1 x 1.5 x 1.9in) thanks to flash LiDAR technology, which enables a completely solid-state architecture. Combined with a 40m (131ft) range and 25 x 1.5° horizontal x vertical field of view (FoV), Guardian is light and easy to use in applications where size and weight are concerns.
Guardian owes its sturdiness to its solid-state design. Sturdiness is essential to safety applications where vibrations and sensor positioning are issues. Furthermore, the sensor’s architecture is easy to adapt to specific requirements.
Inside Guardian is the proprietary Phantom Intelligence digital technology, which enhances the sensor’s perceptive capabilities and reliability. The technology digitises reflected light echoes from the laser flash and filters out background noise, making objects easier to detect from further away.
Vehicles can benefit greatly from this technology, since space is at a premium and vibrations a major issue. To lessen the load on the onboard computer and enable sensor fusion, Guardian can also assess the behavior and classify detected echoes, effectively providing the computer with pre-qualified data. This means smaller communication cables and more effective decision making. In applications where every second counts, having reliable data from each sensor is paramount.
Phantom Intelligence CEO Éric Turenne said: “We are extremely proud of this technical achievement. It takes us one step closer to commoditising LiDAR for an array of applications and industries with a small, affordable and highly customisable package.
“Our proprietary digital technology enables range and reliability never before seen in a solid-state flash LiDAR until now. We believe that this is only the first step in propelling LiDAR to new, uncharted heights.”
Phantom Intelligence will market Guardian as a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product, a reference design for custom integration, and licence the digital processing inside the sensor.
