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CASE STUDY
Industry: Industrial Machinery / Vehicles
Product: Triton® GigE & Triton® SWIR cameras
SDK: LUCID's Arena SDK
Enhancing 3D Spatial Awareness in Challenging Environments with LUCID’s IP67 Cameras
The increasing integration of machines into various sectors, from mining and construction to public safety and defense, demands accurate and effective spatial perception for enhanced operational safety and efficiency. Visionary Machines, headquartered in Sydney, Australia, identified the limitations of existing solutions, particularly in challenging conditions such as extreme weather, low visibility, and the need for assured positioning in GPS-compromised or contested environments.
Challenge
Traditional active sensor technologies like LiDAR emit signals, making them susceptible to interference and detection. Additionally, current modalities often struggle in adverse weather conditions and low-visibility scenarios, limiting their effectiveness in real-world applications.
During the development of their 3D spatial awareness system, Visionary Machines focused on the need for passive (undetectable), robust, and resilient technology. The development team was challenged to create a system that could operate independently of GPS, provide high-fidelity images in all weather conditions, and function seamlessly in challenging environments.
Visionary Machines has developed a 3D spatial awareness system that can operate independently of GPS, and deliver high-fidelity images in challenging environments and weather conditions.
Solution
Visionary Machine’s team developed the next generation 3D spatial perception system called Pandion™ which integrates LUCID’s IP67 visible light and SWIR cameras. The Pandion™ sensor captures real-time environmental data with precision, using a custom array of 4–16 Triton GigE Vision and Triton SWIR cameras. It employs multicamera synchronization, Precision Time Protocol (PTP) synchronization, and consistent frame rate to create accurate 3D reconstructions.
On the software side, Visionary Machines leveraged LUCID’s Arena SDK to maximize image processing functions over the GigE standard protocol. For a seamless integration into Visionary Machine’s Pandion™ technology, the following features of LUCID’s cameras were key:
• PTP for camera synchronization
• Standard image controls (automatic gain, auto-exposure, gamma, image inversion)
• Acquisition controls (continuous acquisition with PTP Mode for consistent frame rate)
• Packet and transmission delay management for networks with limited throughput
• Rugged IP67 camera features such as shock and vibration resistance for challenging environments
The Pandion™ system captures rich, 3D maps in real time, and can be retrofitted to almost any vehicle.
Operators inside the vehicle receive 3D images on a real-time local display with touch screen and flexible mount options.
The Pandion™ system, utilizing LUCID’s cameras, addresses complex spatial sensing challenges in ways that current technologies cannot. The end customers, operating in sectors like mining, emergency services, public safety, and defense, experience significant benefits, including:
• Cost savings through improved operational efficiency and reduced downtime.
• Increased performance with sufficient resolution and spatial accuracy over medium and long distances.
• Autonomy in passive navigation, even in challenging conditions where other technologies fall short.
• Assured position, navigation, and timing, regardless of GPS signal availability.
Pandion™'s camera system includes LUCID’s IP67 Triton GigE Vision and Triton SWIR cameras.
Play the video of Visionary Machine's 3D spatial imaging system out in the field.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Visionary Machines and LUCID exemplifies how innovative sensor technologies can revolutionize machine perception, providing solutions that surpass the limitations of existing modalities. Pandion™’s real-time 3D perception emerges as a game-changer in spatial awareness, setting new standards for efficiency and safety in various industries.