Lumotive, Hokuyo Release World’s First 3D Lidar Sensor With Solid-State Beam Steering
Lumotive and Hokuyo Automatic, a company specializing in sensors and automation, have announced the commercial launch of the YLM-10LX 3D lidar sensor. Powered by Lumotive’s Light Control Metasurface (LCM) optical beamforming technology, is a major advance in using solid-state, programmable optics to improve 3D sensing across industrial automation and service robotics applications.
LCM uses the capability of dynamic meta surfaces to control and direct light in ways that were previously impossible, eliminating the need for large, costly, delicate mechanical moving parts found in traditional lidar systems. LCM chips enable unmatched stability and accuracy in 3D object recognition and distance measurement, and effectively deal with multi-path interference, which is essential for industrial environments where consistent performance and safety are vital.
Hokuyo’s new sensor is the first of its kind in the lidar industry, and they say it achieves better range and view field than any other solid-state solution on the market by integrating beam steering with Lumotive’s LM10 chip. The digital, software-defined scanning capabilities of LCM beam steering allow users to easily modify the sensor’s resolution, detection range, and frame rate; multiple FOVs can be programmed and used at the same time, seamlessly adapting to application needs and changing conditions.
Hokuya Product and Marketing Lead Chiai Tabata says, “The YLM-10LX sensor marks a breakthrough in 3D lidar technology, unlocking new opportunities for automation and robotics. With the industrial sectors increasingly requiring high performance, reliable lidar systems that also have the flexibility to address multiple applications, our ongoing partnership with Lumotive allows us to leverage the amazing potential of LCM beam steering and to deliver innovative solutions that meet the changing needs of our customers”.
And Lumotive’s Bizdev VP Dr. Axel Fuchs says, “We are excited to see our LM10 chip at the core of Hokuyo’s new YLM-10LX sensor, the first of our customers’ products to start deploying our revolutionary beam steering technology into the market. This product launch highlights the tremendous potential of our programmable optics in industrial robotics and beyond. Together with Hokuyo, we look forward to continuing to redefine what’s possible in 3D sensing”.
Lumotive’s LM10 LCM, a chip-scale solid-state beam steering solution for lidar, allows sensor makers like Hokuyo to quickly integrate compact, adaptive programmable optics into their products. LM10, like all LCMs, are manufactured using well-established and scalable silicon fabrication techniques, reducing costs through economies of scale, and making solid-state lidar available and economically feasible for widespread adoption in a broad spectrum of industries.
The commercial launch of the YLM-10LX sensor is another significant milestone of Hokuyo’s continued investment in its long-term, strategic collaboration with Lumotive. The two companies will continue to combine Hokuyo’s expertise with Lumotive’s optical semiconductors to push the limits of 3D lidar technology and drive innovation across a wide range of applications.
DVN comment
The YLM-10LX sensor is the first product on the market to integrate beam scanning with Lumotive’s LM10 chip. Due to the LM10’s beamforming principle, this lidar has digital and software scanning capabilities that allow users to easily change sensor performance parameters, such as resolution, detection range, and refresh rate, and have multiple fields of view programmed and used simultaneously.
