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Today, with the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and robot technologies, high-precision environmental perception capabilities have become the key for them to achieve efficient and safe operations. The emergence of SONY’s AS-DT1 lidar depth sensor is like equiping drones and robots with a pair of sharp “perception eyes”, bringing brand-new changes and opportunities to many industries.
Micro precision, breaking through spatial limitations
With its unique advantages of being the smallest and lightest in the world, SONY AS-DT1 has become an ideal choice for space-constrained application scenarios. Its dimensions are only 29mm × 29mm × 31mm (excluding protruding parts), and its weight is only 50 grams, setting a new industry record. Such a compact design enables it to be easily integrated into devices with strict limitations on space and weight, such as inspection or mapping drones, autonomous mobile robots, etc.
For unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), weight is an important factor affecting the endurance and flight performance. The lightweight design of SONY AS-DT1 can provide powerful perception capabilities for unmanned aerial vehicles without adding excessive burdens, thereby extending the endurance time and improving flight stability.
In the field of robotics, whether it is a restaurant food delivery robot or an autonomous mobile robot in a warehouse, the compact size of SONY AS-DT1 enables them to be flexibly installed within a limited space, achieving more accurate environmental perception and navigation.
dToF technology enables high-precision ranging
The AS-DT1 adopts SONY’s proprietary “Direct Time-of-Flight” (dToF) LiDAR technology. By measuring the time required for photons to travel from emission to the object’s reflection back to the sensor, the distance is precisely calculated. Its proprietary dToF ranging module is equipped with a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensor, featuring extremely high photon detection efficiency and maintaining high precision even in complex lighting environments.
The application of SONY AS-DT1 in the warehouse
In an indoor and outdoor environment at a distance of 10 meters, the ranging error of SONY AS-DT1 is less than ±5 centimeters. This high-precision ranging capability provides a reliable guarantee for the operation of unmanned aerial vehicles and robots. When drones inspect infrastructure such as Bridges, expressways and DAMS, they can precisely measure distances and promptly identify potential safety hazards.
In robot warehouse operations, SONY AS-DT1 can help robots accurately identify the positions of shelves and goods, improving the efficiency and accuracy of warehouse management.
Long-distance measurement, adaptable to diverse scenarios
The SONY AS-DT1 also performs well in long-distance measurement. In an indoor environment, its maximum measurement distance can reach 40 meters. Under strong outdoor summer light conditions (100,000 lux), the maximum measurement distance can reach 20 meters. This feature enables AS-DT1 to adapt to a variety of complex application scenarios.
In the field of industrial inspection by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), it can conduct long-distance monitoring of large buildings, Bridges, etc., without the need to frequently approach the target, thereby enhancing the safety and efficiency of the inspection.
In emergency rescue scenarios, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) equipped with SONY AS-DT1 can quickly obtain terrain and environmental information of the disaster-stricken area at a relatively long distance, providing strong support for rescue decisions.
Adapt to complex scenes and solve the ranging problem
Traditional ranging methods often have difficulty accurately measuring distances when dealing with low-contrast targets, low-reflectivity objects and suspended objects. And SONY AS-DT1, with its advanced technology, can effectively solve these problems. In dynamic environments such AS retail stores and warehouses, the interference of personnel flow, suspended objects or fixed facilities is everywhere. However, SONY AS-DT1 can still respond flexibly and provide reliable depth perception capabilities for robots.
For instance, in a warehouse, goods may have different colors, materials and shapes. Some goods have a relatively low surface reflectivity, and traditional distance measurement methods are prone to errors. The SONY AS-DT1 can accurately measure the distance of these goods, helping robots achieve precise goods handling and inventory management.
Sturdy and durable, ensuring stable operation
The SONY AS-DT1 adopts a sturdy and durable aluminum alloy casing, endowing it with excellent adaptability and reliability. Whether in harsh environments such AS high temperature, low temperature, humidity or a lot of dust, the SONY AS-DT1 can operate stably and provide continuous and reliable perception services for unmanned aerial vehicles and robots.
Drones and robots operating outdoors are confronted with various complex natural environment challenges. The robust casing of SONY AS-DT1 can effectively protect the internal components from damage and ensure the normal operation of the equipment. This not only reduces the maintenance cost of the equipment, but also improves the efficiency and safety of the operation.
The SONY AS-DT1 lidar depth sensor, with its micro-precision design, high-precision ranging capability, long-distance measurement range, adaptability to complex scenarios and robust and durable quality, has become the “perception eye” of unmanned aerial vehicles and robots. Its emergence will bring new technological breakthroughs and development opportunities to numerous fields such as unmanned aerial vehicle inspection, robot navigation, emergency rescue, and logistics distribution, leading a new era of intelligent perception.