The Blickfeld “Cube 1 Outdoor” LiDAR sensor is protected in accordance to IP65 against ingress of dust and jets of water from all directions. Power-over-Ethernet technology simplifies installation and maintenance, reduces the number of accessories required and thus the complexity of comprehensive LiDAR systems.
Blickfeld, a Munich-based manufacturer of LiDAR hardware and software solutions, introduces the “Cube 1 Outdoor” LiDAR sensor designed for outdoor use. The new sensor is based on the “Cube 1” model, which has already been successfully used in numerous projects, including volume measurement and people counting, as well as in security applications. The “Cube 1 Outdoor” is protected against the ingress of dust and jets of water in accordance with protection class IP65 and comes with a special innovation: the power supply runs via the same cable as the data line, a so-called Ethernet cable. The “Power-over-Ethernet” (PoE) technology gets by with fewer external accessories or plug connections and thus considerably simplifies the installation, operation and maintenance of sensor systems altogether.
Dust and water jet protection according to IP65
Certified to the international IP65 (Ingress Protection) rating, the “Cube 1 Outdoor” is protected against the ingress of dust and jets of water from any direction. The requirements for certification were achieved by a design optimized for outdoor use with a sealed connector for the PoE plug.
Easy installation due to Power-over-Ethernet
The power supply and data line run over an standard Ethernet cable, which is suitable for use due to the low power consumption of Blickfeld’s sensor. A so-called PoE splitter is required to separate the power and data signals. This is integrated into the housing of the “Cube 1 Outdoor”, making external splitters superfluous. The use of Ethernet cables and an integrated splitter significantly reduces the need for special cables, connectors and power supplies.
The reduction of external accessories leads to a reduction in overall expense, as fewer accessories need to be protected against dust and water, supplied with cables, installed and maintained. Particular to extensive LiDAR systems, this translates into a high cost. By choosing Cube 1 Outdoor sensors, systems with dozens or even hundreds of sensors become far less complex and can be installed much faster.
The difference shows in operation
In addition to the performance of LiDAR sensor hardware and software in sensing and understanding the environment, ease of use is an important consideration for businesses. This is because it has a major impact on costs and operations. Dr. Florian Petit, one of the Blickfeld’s founders, explains, “Simple installation and extensive freedom from maintenance are particularly important amongst industrial applications, especially if, for instance, company premises may only be entered under high security measures or if maintenance is only possible during breaks in operation. With its easy-to-install and low-maintenance PoE technology, the jet-proof and dust-proof “Cube 1 Outdoor” brings huge advantages in this respect and opens up numerous fields of application.”
