3D LiDAR Technology Brought to Mass-Market with a $599 Livox Sensor

SHENZHEN,China,Feb. 19,2019 -- Livox is shifting the marketplace for LiDAR sensors by introducing a reliable,compact,ready-to-use solution for innovators,professionals and engineers,around the world working closely with 3D sensing technology. After years of intense R&D and exhaustive testing,Livox has released three high performance LiDAR sensors: The Mid-40/Mid-100,Horizon,and Tele-15. All sensors are developed with a wide range of different industry applications in mind,offering customers a best-in-class combination of precision,range,price and size.

As the first available Livox sensor,the Mid-40/Mid-100 sensor can accurately sense three-dimensional spatial information under various environmental conditions,and plays an indispensable role in fields such as autonomous driving,robotics,mapping,logistics,security,search and rescue,to name a few.

Low Cost and Mass Production

Traditionally,high-performance mechanical LiDAR products usually demand highly-skilled personnel and are therefore prohibitively expensive and in short supply. To encourage the adoption of LiDAR technology in a number of different industries ranging from 3D mapping and surveying to robotics and engineering,Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 is developed with cost-efficiency in mind while still maintaining superior performance.

Instead of using expensive laser emitters or immature MEMS scanners,Mid-40/Mid-100 adopts lower cost semiconductor components for light generation and detection. The entire optical system,including the scanning units,uses proven and readily available optical components such as those employed in the optical lens industry. This sensor also introduces a uniquely-designed low cost signal acquisition method to achieve superior performance. All these factors contribute to an accessible price point - $599 for a single unit of Mid-40.

Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 adopts a large aperture refractive scanning method that utilizes a coaxial design. This approach uses far fewer laser detector pairs,yet maintains the high point density and detection distances. This design dramatically reduces the difficulty of optical alignment during production and enable significant production yield increase.

Powerful and Compact

The Mid-40 sensor covers a circular FOV of 38.4 degreeswith a detection range of up to 260 meters (for objects with reflectivity at 80%). Meanwhile,the Mid-100 combines three Mid-40 units internally to form an expansive horizontal FOV of 98.4 degrees(Horizontal)x 38.4 degrees(Vertical). The point rate for Mid-40 is 100,000 points/s while for Mid-100 is 300,000 points/s. The range precision (1σ @ 25 m) of each sensor is 2 cm[1] and the angular accuracy is < 0.1 degrees.

Livox sensor's advanced non-repetitive scanning patterns deliver highly-accurate details. These scanning patterns even provide high point density in a short period of time and can even build up a higher density as the duration increases.The Mid series can achieve the same or greater point density as conventional 32-line LiDAR sensors.

With this level of 3D sensing capability,Livox has optimized the hardware and mechanical design,so that a compact body[2] of Mid sensors enables users to easily embed units into existing designs.

Reliable and Safe

All Livox LiDAR sensors are individually and thoroughly tested and are proved to work in a variety ofenvironments. Every single unit has a false detection rate of less than one ten-thousandth,even in the 100 klx sunlight condition[3]. Each sensor's laser power meets the requirements for a Class 1 laser product to IEC 60825-1(2014) and is safe for human eyes[4]. The Mid-40/Mid-100 operate in temperatures between -4 degrees F and 149 degrees F (-20 degrees C to 65 degrees C) and always reliably output point cloud data for objects with different reflectivity. Livox LiDAR does not use any moving electronic components,thus avoiding challenges such as slip ring failures,a common problem in conventional,rotating LiDAR units. Livox has also optimized the optoelectronic system,including software,firmware,and algorithms,enhancing environmental adaption in a wide variety of conditions including rain,smoke,and fog.

Livox Horizon and Tele-15

Beside Mid-40/Mid-100 sensors,Livox is currently working on extending its product portfolio with two additional LiDAR sensors,the Horizon and Tele-15.

The Livox Horizon is a high-performance LiDAR which offers a broader FOV with much higher coverage ratio while retaining all the key advantages of the Mid-40,such as long detection range,high precision,and a compact size. Compared with the Mid-40,the Horizon has a similar measuring range,but features a more-rectangular-shaped FOV that is 81.7 degreeshorizontal and 25.1 degreesvertical,highly suitable for autonomous driving applications. The Horizon also delivers real-time point cloud data that is three times denser than the Mid series LiDAR sensors.

Made for advanced long-distance detection,the Livox Tele-15 offers the compact size,high-precision,and durability of the Mid-40 while vastly extending the real-time mapping range. This allows users to detect and avoid obstacles well in advance when moving at higher speeds.

As for the Tele-15,it features an ultra-long measuring range of 500 meters when reflectivity is at 80%. Even with 20% reflectivity,the measuring range is still up to 250 meters. In addition,the Tele-15 has a circular FOV of 15 degreesand delivers a point cloud that is 17 times denser than the Mid-40. These key features enable the Tele-15 to see objects far ahead with great details.

Livox Hub

The Livox Hub is a streamlined way to integrate and manage Livox LiDAR sensors and their data outputs. When using Livox Hub with our LiDAR SDK,you will have unified access to software and hardware,making the development process simplified and efficient. The Livox Hub can access up to 9 LiDAR sensors simultaneously and supports an input range of 10-23V.

Livox SDK

To release the unlimited potential of LiDAR,Livox SDK offers a wide range of essential tools that help users develop unique applications and algorithms. The Livox SDK supports various development platforms,such as C and C++ in Linux/Windows/ROS and applies to all existing products such as Livox Mid-40,Mid-100,Tele-15,Hub.

Price and Availability

The US retail price of a Livox Mid-40 sensor is $599 USD. The Livox Mid-100 sensor is available for $1.499 USD. (Prices in other regions Mid-40/Mid-100: EUR599/EUR1.499,GBP539/GBP1.339,JPY77,490/JPY197,100)

For orders of over 60 units of Mid-40,or over 30 units of Mid-100,please contact Livox Sales at sales@livoxtech.com for a discount.

Starting today,the Livox Mid-40/Mid-100 LiDAR sensor is available for purchase through DJI's online store (https://store.dji.com/product/livox-mid) in the European Union,United States and Japan. To purchase Livox products in other regions please contact sales@livoxtech.com.

Livox Horizon and Tele-15 will be available in the second half of 2019. Livox Hub samples are available now,please contact sales@livoxtech.com for more information.

Product Pictures are available here: https://bit.ly/2SbM2Kx

About Livox

Livox Technology Company Limitedis committed to LiDAR sensortechnologies. The company was founded and is run by people with adedicatedpassion providing high-reliability LiDAR products that are high performance,low cost and ready to be put to use by customers around the world.

With offices in Hong Kong,Japan and Shenzhen,Livox is committed to providing 3D sensing technology for various environmental conditions,and it plays an indispensable role in many fields such as autonomous driving,and more.

For more information,please visit/contact:

Website: https://www.livoxtech.com

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnLpB5QxlQUexi40vM12mNQ

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LivoxTech

Sales: sales@livoxtech.com

Marketing: marketing@livoxtech.com

Customer Service: cs@livoxtech.com

Join us: career@livoxtech.com

[1] Measured in an environment of 25 degrees Cwith a target (80% reflectivity) 20 meters away. The result may vary under different test conditions.

[2] Dimensions: 88x69x76 mm (Mid-40)and 142x70x230 mm (Mid-100)

Weight: Approx. 710 g (Mid-40)and Approx. 2200 g (Mid-100)

[3] Detection Range (@ 100 klx)

90 m @ 10% reflectivity

130 m @ 20% reflectivity

260 m @ 80% reflectivity

[4]Livox LiDAR sensors are rigorously tested and certified to be Class 1 laser products to meet IEC 60825-1(2014) standard by professional third-party agencies