Xaxxon Launches OpenLIDAR Sensor, Boasts of Full ROS Compatibility
Based on a Garmin sensor, the OpenLIDAR is ROS-compatible and suitable for autonomous navigation as well as mapping projects.
Canadian open hardware specialist Xaxxon has officially launched its OpenLIDAR Sensor, a full-open laser-based light detection and ranging (LIDAR) scanner designed for use with the Robot Operating System (ROS).
Brought to our attention by Adafruit, the Xaxxon OpenLIDAR is built around the Garmin LIDAR-Litev3 laser distance measurement sensor. The sensor is connected to a rotational slip-ring and coupled with a stepper motor, a two-part 3D-printed frame, and a printed circuit board which offers Arduino compatibility.
The design includes, Xaxxon revealed in a first look published back in April, adjustable rotation rate of 10 to 250 revolutions per minute, up to a 750Hz sample rate, and a 40-metre range. The compact design is well-suited, Xaxxon says, for use in autonomous mobile robot builds as well as simultaneous location and mapping (SLAM) projects, offering the data required for navigation, obstacle avoidance, and mapping — even in sunny conditions.
The OpenLIDAR is available now on the Xaxxon webshop, priced at $239. As open hardware, however, it's also possible to download schematics and design files for everything from the PCB to the 3D-printed housing via the official product page. The software side, meanwhile, is available on GitHub under the GNU General Public Licence Version 3.