In addition to ultrasonic and radar, lidar is increasingly being used for distance measurement and navigation applications in the agricultural sector. Lidar stands for light detection and ranging. Similar to radar, this technology also benefits from far-reaching miniaturization and integration down to the chip level.
Whereas ultrasonic works with sound and radar with radio waves, lidar operates using pulses of light. The large number of lasers on a chip creates a 3D point cloud of reflections with such high resolution and precision that the environment around the sensor can be mapped down to the millimeter.
Lidar in navigation applications
Lidar is regularly used in navigation applications and acts as the eyes of an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV), such as an autonomous agricultural vehicle. Based on all the reflections that the spinning sensor system measures, an agricultural vehicle, for example, receives a detailed picture of its surroundings, enabling it to navigate across the field and avoid obstacles.
Because lidar is lightning fast and can also measure while moving, the technology is suitable for using an AGV to accurately monitor growth in a fruit orchard; useful when automatic pruning is used. Or you can attach a lidar underneath a drone and map crops from above. Although the light pulses from a lidar do not penetrate crops as well as radar waves, with 5 million data points per second, the point cloud provides impressive detail when measuring ground and crop height.
The OS1 lidar sensor from our technology partner Ouster, provides reliable distance measurements even in rainy and challenging conditions.
Measuring extremely accurately
Lidar is much more accurate than radar and capable of detecting objects, terrains or crop heights down to the millimeter. It is highly resistant to challenging weather conditions, dust and dirt, and to very low or very high temperatures. However, lidar is quite expensive compared to radar and ultrasonic.
Examples of lidar applications
- Navigation for autonomous agricultural vehicles
- Mapping crop growth with 3D mapping
Choosing lidar starts with the right partner
Ready to actually apply lidar in your machine? We work with Ouster and are the exclusive distributor in the Netherlands. In this blog, you’ll learn what makes their sensors technically strong and how you can develop faster with the right support and tools.
