Lower cost autonomous control of drones
Hong Kong-based NaviPack revealed on 1 December a LIDAR navigation module aimed at more effective and lower cost autonomous control of drones, robots and other unmanned devices.

Integrating the LIDAR with a built-in SLAM algorithm chip makes the module the first true plug-and-play LIDAR solution for the unmanned sector, providing 360° sensing capability for path selection, obstacle avoidance and accurate mapping.

The scan rate is 3,000 points per second, identifying objects at ranges up to 15 metres. NaviPack is compatible with Windows, Linux, Android and ROS and is simple to install and use on a wide variety of platforms. The system is being launched on the Indiegogo crowd funding website.