R&D Firm Draper Building Low Cost Chip Based Lidar
This article was originally published in Geomatics World.
Draper, a not-for-profit R&D company, is developing a solid-state lidar sensor expected to cost $50 when produced at scale. The sensor will have a range of 300 metres, an angular resolution of less than 0.1 degrees, and a scan rate of 20 frames per second. The plan is for the sensor to be used in autonomous vehicles.
The lidar is also slightly different from most solid-state lidar sensors on the market. Leveraging its background in integrated photonics, the company developed its sensor to use Micro-Electrical Mechanical Systems (MEMS). Where a majority solid-state technologies use an optical phased array to direct the emitted laser, MEMS technology uses microscopic moving mirrors.
MEMS-based sensors are not unique. Innoluce, for instance, has also promised a solid-state lidar built on the technology. However, the $50 price tag on Draper’s sensor is expected to undercut Innoluce’s announced price of $100.
Draper intends the sensor to be used in a lot more than just autonomous vehicles. including aerial drones and even mobile phones.
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