How are UGVs used?

There are so many applications for UGVs – and that number is growing. The implications for military use are obvious, as there are many situations within this context that are too dangerous for humans. Our focus at LightWare, however, lies predominantly on the use of UGVs in tasks that involve collision avoidance, navigation, SLAM (simultaneous mapping and location) and terrain following; applications which may be called upon in industries such as manufacturing, mining, agriculture and the supply chain. For example, a UGV can be used to assess the health of a crop in agriculture; while mining companies often use UGVs to map mine tunnels. In the supply chain, UGVs may scan stock. Search and rescue is emerging as another key use. UGVs are also often used to gather data about a specific environment, which may then be used to create a map. Detecting objects and humans along a certain route or in a specific area is another use.

What is a typical UGV payload? 

Payloads differ according to the type and size of UGV in use but may vary from 35kg to over 70kg with each carrying a variety of sensors – cameras, LiDAR, Ultrasonics – depending on their specific usage.

What challenges do UGVs typically encounter?

Without a human to guide and steer it, UGVs are at risk of colliding with other objects they do not detect. This has massive implications for safety but may also result in major losses for the owner of the vehicle. Where human guidance is given, this is not always infallible: a human may struggle to accurately interpret the visual information provided by UGVs because this data has a limited field of view, for instance, or because it lacks depth. Another challenge may present in SLAM situations, where GPS is not available – in which case, the results will be limited. This is where UGV benefit from having “eyes” in the form of LiDAR, which allows a UGV to operate autonomously. The use of LIDAR allows a UGV to safely detect and avoid obstacles and generally operate beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of human operators – even in situations where GPS is denied, and SLAM operations are required.

How does LiDAR overcome these challenges?

Equipping a UGV with LiDAR makes it safer and more accurate. This is because the LiDAR sensors are able to create data clouds of the terrain as UGV passes through, thus making it possible for UGVs to ‘see’ – a major development for machines which are, typically, ‘blind’. This reduces the likelihood of collisions. What’s more, human users are able to obtain these data cloud “images” in real time – and, because they are conveyed as data points rather than photos, there are no issues around privacy.