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OLEI LR1F 50m LiDAR | Source: OLEI

OLEI, a global provider of advanced LiDAR and thermal camera sensors, along with MorpheusTEK, launched an industrial quality 50m LiDAR available for navigation and obstacle avoidance that is not limited by need for external reflectors and is priced for mass adoption at $1,099 per unit or lower at volume.

50m is the sweet spot for logistics and other indoor automated guided vehicles (AGVs) but current 50m+ LiDAR products are limited by the need for external reflectors and are expensive. Typically, the material and production expenses for most mass scale robotics and industrial, commercial-grade LiDARs accounts for over 20-30% of overall robot costs.

Reflectors increase costs for deployment and limit AGVs operating and adapting to dynamic environments. However OLEI’s unique technology can work with reflectors, without reflectors or hybrid depending on the application.

The company claims these problems are solved with the introduction of the OLEI LR1F 50m LiDAR. This 50m LiDAR is possible through the ingenuity of OLEI, a business unit of GreatStar. OLEI is a division of the largest laser driver purchaser and laser measurement manufacturer in the world. Its buying power and high production provides economies of scale to drive down overall production costs that are passed along to business partners and customers worldwide.

“This industry-leading breakthrough for indoor AGVs and robotics is a game changer for our customers and automation worldwide,” Van Bedell, executive vice president of sales of MorpheusTEK and exclusive partner of GreatStar OLEI for North America, said. “Engineers have struggled to keep BOM costs down while meeting up to 50m requirements for navigation and safety. At $1,099, that challenge is eliminated.”

This GreatStar OLEI LiDAR is made possible through a partner supply chain collaborative of “all-star” global design and component leaders, including US-design, German-precision laser drivers and motors, Japanese sensor technology and China quality manufacturing.

“This orchestrated effort is a global model of excellence when you bring together the best of the best to deliver a solution that benefits the greater good for all as part of a global digital economy,” Dr. Yongping Wang, CTO of OLEI, said.