Sony announced the AS-DT1, the world’s smallest and lightest miniature precision LiDAR depth sensor. Measuring a mere 29 by 29 by 31 millimeters (1.14 by 1.14 by 1.22 inches) excluding protrusions, the Sony AS-DT1 LiDAR Depth Sensor relies upon sophisticated miniaturization and optical lens technologies from Sony’s machine vision industrial cameras to accurately measure distance and range. The device utilizes “Direct Time of Flight” (dToF) LiDAR technology and features a Sony Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) image sensor. As Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation describes, a SPAD sensor promises exceptional photon detection efficiency, ensuring the sensor can detect even very weak photons emitted from the light source and reflected off an object. This efficiency is crucial, as reflected light is precisely how LiDAR works. Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) measures distances by measuring the time it takes for emitted photons to bounce off an object and return to the sensor. The more efficient the image sensor in terms of photon efficiency, the better its accuracy. Compared to the CMOS image sensors that photographers are familiar with, which detect light by measuring the volume of light that accumulates inside individual pixels over a specified time frame, SPAD sensors can detect a single photon — SPAD sensors digitally count photon particles without accuracy or noise issues. SPAD image sensors are fundamentally different and significantly more efficient than CMOS sensors. So why don’t all cameras use SPAD sensors? While they are very good at measuring single photons, they are not well-suited to measuring much more light, which nearly everyone wants to capture with a traditional camera. They are also costly, not high resolution, and inflexible. It was big news when Canon unveiled a one-megapixel SPAD sensor less than five years ago, to help illustrate where the technology is in terms of resolution. Sony does not say much about the specific SPAD sensor in its new AS-DT1 LiDAR Depth Sensor. There aren’t many SPAD sensors in Sony’s sensor catalog, but the few that are there are small and have relatively few pixels. Nonetheless, Sony is high on its new AS-DT1 device. Due to its small size and impressive SPAD sensor, the company says it is “ideal for applications where space and weight constraints are paramount, including drones, robotics, and more.” It is reasonable to suspect the device could also be helpful in self-driving cars. Any situation needing very accurate depth and distance measurements in challenging lighting scenarios is well-suited to something like the AS-DT1. “The AS-DT1 can measure distances to low-contrast subjects and objects with low reflectivity, which are more difficult to detect with other ranging methods. This enables accurate measurement of distances in diverse environments, such as retail stores, where various objects, including people and fixtures, are expected,” Sony explains. “In addition to its ability to accurately measure distances both indoors and outdoors, the sensor’s compact, lightweight design and rigid aluminum housing allow for integration into a wide range of devices, such as food service robots in restaurants, autonomous mobile robots in warehouses, and drones used for inspections and surveys.” The Sony AS-DT1 can measure at various distances with exceptional accuracy. For example, Sony claims it can measure the distance to objects 10 meters (32.8 feet) away with a margin of error of five centimeters (nearly two inches) indoors and outdoors. The company further claims the AS-DT1 is superior to competing imaging devices when dealing with low-contrast subjects, objects with low reflectivity, and floating objects. The AS-DT1 can accurately measure up to 40 meters (131.2 feet) indoors and 20 meters (65.6 feet) outdoors under bright summer conditions, which Sony says can be challenging “when inspecting infrastructure such as bridges, highways, and dams.” Given its small size and how valuable drones are for infrastructure inspection, this is a particularly attractive use case for the AS-DT1. source: petapixel

Australia’s Q-CTRL has announced the first real-world demonstration of its commercially viable quantum navigation system. The system works without Global Positioning Systems (GPS), cannot be jammed, and is already proving to be drastically more accurate than anything else. This is a big deal as many vehicles worldwide (including planes and cars) rely heavily on GPS for navigation. However, GPS can be jammed, spoofed, or even denied, especially during military conflicts or cyberattacks. This is a growing concern for national security and autonomous vehicles, which need constant, accurate location data. In fact, according to a press release by Q-CTRL, GPS jamming has been shown to disrupt around 1,000 flights every day. An outage on this scale is estimated to cost the global economy around $1 billion daily. Therefore, finding a reliable backup to GPS is critical, especially for defense and autonomous systems. Navigation without GPS To this end, Q-CTRL developed a new system called “Ironstone Opal,” which uses quantum sensors to navigate without GPS. It’s passive (meaning it doesn’t emit signals that could be detected or jammed) and highly accurate. Instead of relying on satellites, Q-CTRL’s system can read the Earth’s magnetic field, which varies slightly depending on location (like a magnetic fingerprint or map). The system can determine where you are by measuring these variations using magnetometers. This is made possible using the company’s proprietary quantum sensors, which are incredibly sensitive and stable. The system also comes with special AI-based software, which filters out interference like vibrations or electromagnetic noise (what they call “software ruggedization”). Q-CTRL ran some live tests on the ground and in the air to validate the technology. As anticipated, they found that it could operate completely independently of GPS. Moreover, the company reports that its quantum GPS was 50 times more accurate than traditional GPS backup systems (like Inertial Navigation Systems or INS). The systems also delivered navigation precision on par with hitting a bullseye from 1,000 yards. Technology now proven Even when the equipment was mounted inside a plane, where interference is much worse, it outperformed existing systems by at least 11x. This is the first time quantum technology has been shown to outperform existing tech in a real-world commercial or military application, a milestone referred to as achieving “quantum advantage.” Because of its stealthy, jam-proof, and high-precision nature, this tech is highly attractive to military forces, notably Australia, the UK, and the US. However, it could also prove valuable to commercial aviation companies, autonomous vehicles, and drones. It could be a game-changer for navigation in hostile environments, GPS-denied zones, or deep-sea/mountainous regions where GPS doesn’t work well. “At Q-CTRL, we’re thrilled to be the global pioneer in taking quantum sensing from research to the field, being the first to enable real capabilities that have previously been little more than a dream,” said Biercuk from Q-CTRL. “This is our first major system release, and we’re excited that there will be much more to come as we introduce new quantum-assured navigation technologies tailored to other commercial and defense platforms,” he added. source: interestingengineering

we need to wait, if its ready then you can access it, 

Any new developments on this?