In context
In mid-2024, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) were seeing rapid adoption in logistics and manufacturing, with annual growth around 30 percent. However, safety and cost remained key barriers, as traditional sensors like LiDAR and cameras were expensive and limited in their ability to detect obstacles in three dimensions. Sonair, a Norwegian startup, emerged from stealth to address these challenges with a novel ultrasonic sensing approach.
What was reported
Sonair announced its 3D ultrasonic sensor, which enables AMRs to detect distance and direction to all objects within a 180×180 degree field of view, up to a five-meter range. The sensor combines 3D ultrasonic data with 2D images and AI to achieve confident navigation, improving human-robot interaction and safety.
The company claims the technology can reduce the cost of the total sensor package by as much as 80 percent compared to current solutions. This is achieved through patented technology developed at SINTEF's MiNaLab, which enhances a robot's vision from 2D to 3D, offering a significant improvement over traditional LiDAR and camera systems.
Sonair, founded in 2022 in Oslo, plans to release its first evaluation kit in summer 2024. Several companies, including Solwr, a warehouse automation firm, are already exploring the technology. Solwr's CTO expressed excitement about testing the sensor on their mobile picking robots. Sonair also secured approximately 30 million Norwegian kroner in a seed round from investors including SINTEF Venture VI, ProVenture, Startuplab Founders Fund, and Stratel.
Why it mattered
If Sonair's ultrasonic sensor delivers on its cost and performance claims, it could democratize 3D perception for AMRs, making advanced safety features accessible to a broader range of manufacturers and integrators. This would accelerate the adoption of autonomous robots in warehouses and factories, potentially shifting the industry away from expensive laser-based sensors toward more affordable ultrasonic alternatives.
“Our cutting-edge ultrasound technology not only detects obstacles in three dimensions, but does so with unprecedented accuracy and at a fraction of the cost of current sensors.”
Source: Robotics & Automation News (roboticsandautomationnews.com) · Published 2024-05-29 · “Sonair claims ‘breakthrough’ 3D ultrasonic sensor for autonomous robots”