Some of the new products on show
Conference Highlight: New lidar scanner from Omnitron Sensors addresses critical bottleneck in lidar technology
ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Conference
On Day 2 of the conference, Eric Aguilar, co-founder and CEO of Omnitron Sensors, took to the stage for his presentation, 'Fix the optical subsystem, fix lidar', during the session 'Sensor test, development, fusion, calibration and data'.
Speaking to ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle International during the conference, he revealed, “We are introducing a new lidar scanner to the market that brings a significant reduction in size, cost and complexity compared with existing lidar systems. This addresses a critical bottleneck in lidar technology, making it as ubiquitous as cameras are today.”
"One of the primary challenges with optical subsystems in lidar is reliability,” Eric explained. "The automotive environment subjects these systems to constant stress, from bumpy roads to temperature fluctuations. These conditions can lead to failures in today's lidar scanners, particularly when extremely tight alignment tolerances at the sub-micron level are required.
“Affordable, reliable, long-range lidar systems require several key components," he continued, "including low-cost scanners, lenses and simplified assembly processes. Our scanner technology represents a significant advancement in all these areas, delivering a notable reduction in size, cost and enhanced reliability.
“Omnitron Sensors has tackled this challenge by developing a large mirror that offers rapid movement and precise quasistatic control through our proprietary MEMS Topology,” he added. “This innovation significantly reduces the size of lidar systems while ensuring years of reliable performance. This reliability is crucial for the demanding automotive market.”
Eric's background and expertise is in core sensor design and sensor integration. He said, “I'm a nerd! For the last 20 years I've dedicated my career to designing sensors and integrating them into robotic systems for real-world applications. This experience spans various settings, including US Navy research labs, startup environments, roles at Google X and contributions to Tesla. Additionally, I have served as a board member for a Japanese robotics company.
“Our decision to present at ADAS & Autonomous Vehicle Technology Expo California stems from our goal to reach a broader international market. This event brings together industry leaders from both Europe and the US who share a common objective: advancing autonomy to the mass market.”