San Francisco-based lidar company Ouster announced on Monday a new lineup of sensors called 'Rev8' that integrate color imagery directly into lidar technology.
The new sensors feature 'native color lidar,' allowing them to capture color data and three-dimensional depth information at the same time. According to TechCrunch, the technology aims to perform the functions of two separate sensors within a single unit.
Ouster CEO Angus Pacala described the development as a decade-long project. In an interview with TechCrunch, Pacala called the technology the 'holy grail of what a roboticist has always wanted.'
Reducing sensor complexity
Historically, autonomous systems have relied on separate camera and lidar hardware. Pacala noted that engineers have traditionally had to buy both and then struggle to fuse the data streams.
'For all of human history, it’s been: you buy a lidar sensor, you buy a camera, and you try to make sense of the combination with some higher level reasoning, and waste an enormous amount of time doing this,' Pacala told TechCrunch.
He added that companies often only reach a halfway point when attempting to calibrate and fuse these different data streams. The Rev8 lineup seeks to fix this by merging the inputs.
'The goal is to obviate cameras. There’s no reason that one sensor can enough do both,' Pacala said.
Industry consolidation
The launch occurs during a period of heavy consolidation within the lidar industry. Ouster recently acquired Velodyne, while competitor Luminar's assets were recently acquired following a bankruptcy filing, according to the report.
