Available UAV sensing solutions for position and range measurements as well as for collision avoidance are still far from perfect: GPSs and barometers aren’t foolproof—even outdoors—and can’t be relied upon when navigating indoors. Ultrasonic altimeters have very limited range. Optical flow sensors require good lighting and textured surfaces, and camera vision is still a work in progress and tends to be processing intensive.
Leddar solid-state LiDAR technology, with its narrow or wide field of view, rich data acquisition, and multi-segment/multi-object detection capability, might be the best all-around sensing solution to provide efficient and reliable spatial awareness for a new generation of UAVs.
