Originally posted by Breifne
reply to post by SJE98

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iRobot inks deal for laser-radar droidvision sensors - a more militaristic use for drones etc. Something more from this angle maybe?

Anyway, it may explain the use of the word iRobot in the first instance!

Breifne

iRobot, provider of ground warbots to the US forces and purveyor of domestic droids to the comfortably off consumer, has struck a deal allowing it to use laser-scanning technology in its future designs. Reports have it that the kit could be in use in 2009; though this would be with the military, not on the company's famous line of autonomous "Roomba" floor-cleaners.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, the laser-vision system - also known as "ladar", as it is effectively a laser-light version of radar rather than a camera - is provided by Advanced Scientific Concepts of California.

The new gear is intended to solve one of the most difficult problems in autonomous ground-mobile machines - that of generating a useable 3D map of what lies ahead. Humans can do a good job of this using stereoscopic 2D vision, but thus far software has struggled to interpret ordinary camera imagery in a way that robots can use.

The ASC systems will use brief pulses of laser light instead of radio or microwaves, thus perhaps allowing autonomous operations inside buildings - an attractive option in iRobot's main markets. The 5-nanosecond pulses will be eye-safe, apparently.

ASC's "laser flash" technology, originally developed for aerial mapping, is nearer being ready to go.

iRobot believes it might have ladar on military combat droids in 12 to 18 months, and thereafter on its household machines at some unspecified date.®