Blickfeld GmbH was named the winner of the most innovative product in the MEMS (micro-electromechanical system) category of the Best of Sensors awards. The award ceremony was held at the Sensors Converge 2021 Conference and Expo in September and presented by Sensors Converge and Fierce Electronics. Each award was created to honor the best new products in the sensors space, as well as the companies and people who create them. Blickfeld won the award for the Cube 1, their solid-state 3D LiDAR sensor.
The Blickfeld Cube 1 is the world's smallest solid-state LiDAR sensor for wide field-of-view applications. The Cube 1 features a configurable scan pattern, an adaptable field of view, and a long range of up to 250 meters. Its proprietary solid state technology is designed to be durable in the field and requires no maintenance. Other features include on-device processing, included recognition software, and a web interface that is simple to use.
Blickfeld also developed an algorithm library optimized for the Cube 1 chipset with a variety of pre-processing features. The first algorithm released with the Cube 1 enables motion sensing, which recognizes the static background within the 3D LiDAR point cloud and removes it so that dynamic objects in the field of view can be highlighted along with the vector they are traveling.
The advanced technology of the Cube 1 has been tested in the field for people counting, traffic management, perimeter security, and other applications.
The wide and adaptable field of view of the Cube 1 gives it the ability to cover large areas, and its high resolution ensures a distinction between separate people. Because the Cube 1 collects 3D data rather than video, it also guarantees the privacy of anyone being tracked. It is currently being used to detect people flow in the Frankfurt airport to optimize passenger logistics. Other similar applications include retail stores, concerts, sporting events, industry fairs, and anywhere people need to be tracked or counted without capturing personal data.
LiDAR data offers a new dimension of precision and privacy as the 3D distance data enables not only the highest accuracy but also absolute anonymity. This is a clear advantage over other sensor technologies, such as cameras, according to Florian Petit, founder of Blickfeld.
The centimeter-level distance measurement data that the Cube 1 provides makes it the perfect solution for perimeter security, leaving no room for interpretation when detecting objects in its field of view. The Cube 1 simultaneously ensures that intruders are detected and false alarms happen less often. Typical applications include security at energy facilities, commercial property, industrial plants, airports, and transportation infrastructure.
Blickfeld's LiDAR technology and flexible software package that complements the Cube 1 also has proven its value in traffic-related applications. The wide field of view allows monitoring several lanes of traffic or complete intersections from one location. And again, the Cube 1 ensures personal privacy by relying on a 3D point cloud instead of video to detect objects in its field of view.
Blickfeld GmbH was founded with the goal of building a high-performance and mass-producible LiDAR sensor. Along the way, the company reinvented a core component of 3D sensors and the setup of the device. The Best of Sensors Award is one of the many awards the company has won for its products, including "The Spark," the German Innovation Award, and more.
Check out the complete list of finalists in the Best of Sensors 2021 Awards.