Optical semiconductor technology for machine vision provider Lumotive and sensor provider Hokuyo Automatic Co., Ltd. recently announced the commercial release of the YLM-10LX 3D lidar sensor.
This product is powered by Lumotive's Light Control Metasurface (LCM) optical beamforming technology, which the company said represents a major leap forward in applying solid-state, programmable optics to transform 3D sensing across industrial automation and service robotics applications.
Lumotive said its LCM technology leverages the power of dynamic metasurfaces to manipulate and direct light, eliminating the need for the bulky, expensive, and fragile mechanical moving parts found in traditional lidar systems.
As a solid-state beam steering component for lidar, Lumotive said its LCM chips can enable stability and accuracy in 3D object recognition and distance measurement, and can effectively handle multi-path interference, which is crucial for industrial environments where consistent performance and safety are paramount.
Multiple fields of view can be used simultaneously
Hokuyo said its new sensor achieves its range and field of view (FOV) by integrating beam steering with Lumotive's LM10 chip. In addition, the digital, software-defined scanning capabilities of LCM beam steering allow users to adjust performance parameters like the sensor's resolution, detection range, and frame rate with the ability to have multiple FOVs programmed and used simultaneously, which can allow for seamless adapting to application needs and changing conditions, indoors and outdoors.
“The YLM-10LX sensor marks a breakthrough in 3D lidar technology, unlocking new possibilities for automation and robotics,” said Chiai Tabata, Hokuyo product and marketing lead. “With the industrial sectors increasingly demanding high-performance, reliable lidar systems that also have the flexibility to address multiple applications, our continued partnership with Lumotive allows us to harness the incredible potential of LCM beam steering and to deliver innovative solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers.”
Scalable LCM chip production can allow widespread adoption
“We are thrilled to see our LM10 chip at the heart of Hokuyo's new YLM-10LX sensor, the first of our customers' products to begin deploying our revolutionary beam steering technology into the market,” said Axel Fuchs, Lumotive VP of business development. “This product launch highlights the immense 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 technology for lidar, allows sensor makers like Hokuyo to integrate compact, adaptive programmable optics into their products. Lumotive said its LM10, like all LCMs, are manufactured using well-established and scalable silicon fabrication techniques, which can reduce costs through economies of scale and making solid-state lidar accessible and economically feasible for widespread adoption in a broad spectrum of industries.
The companies said the commercial release 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 said they will continue to combine Hokuyo's knowledge with Lumotive's optical semiconductors to push the boundaries of 3D lidar technology and drive innovation across a wide range of applications.
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