Drones and other autonomous vehicles have changed the world with their ability to go where humans can’t. Yet, these machines are vulnerable to accidents that can wipe them and their cargo out instantly because they lack the essential human quality of sight. The team at LightWare is taking autonomous machines to a whole new level by making them as invincible as they need to be. Introducing the SF45 microLiDAR, the world’s smallest and lightest, scanning microLiDAR sensor. By giving your machine “eyes” via the SF45, your high cost unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs) will be able to do its work with lower risk of catastrophe, including the safe delivery of their equally valuable and often lifesaving payloads. LightWare’s Philip Constantine explains: “The SF45 democratizes machine perception, bringing vision, safety, and practicality to even the smallest unmanned systems. Autonomous machines don’t have 3D depth perception, so they can’t make sense of unexpected features. Our sensors give them eyes, so that they can even see around corners!” What sets LightWare’s SF45 microLiDAR sensor apart is how small and lightweight the company has been able to make it. “These sensors enable futuristic technology to function in the real world, putting drones and other autonomous machines on a whole new level where they become more useful in the here and now,” says Constantine. “They’ve really proven their worth in a world dominated by Covid, enabling the delivery of vaccines and medical supplies to places that are otherwise inaccessible.” So what makes the SF45 unique? This small sensor’s ability to deliver more readings in a short space of time combined with its scanning functionality makes it a global leader. Depending on your application it can be set up in a horizontal or vertical orientation. And it is compatible with a number of controllers – allowing for a quick and easy “plug and play” set up. All of which makes the SF45/B microLiDAR sensor the one sensor that you can count on for size and weight constrained applications. And what’s more, the SF45 won first place in the AUVSI Xcellence Awards.