Squeaky Clean: Ouster’s Latest LiDAR Takes the Car Wash Challenge
Based in the tech startup capital of San Francisco, Ouster’s mission is bringing 3D sensing to the masses. Ouster joined the Level Five supplier family in April 2019 with its OS1 sensor, the lightest high-resolution 3D sensor on the market. Since then, the company has been working hard developing new hardware, upgrading its firmware, and even taking a sensor through the car wash to show off how it handles heavy water and soap.
New connectors and cables
Ouster OS1 LiDAR sensor
Ouster is introducing new connectors and cables that will improve the reliability of its sensors and increase its IP rating from IP68 to an industry-leading IP69K, making the OS1 the highest rated sensor in the automotive LiDAR market.
These ratings are internationally recognised classifications of protection against water, dust and intrusion. This new rating will certify that the OS1 is resistant to high temperature (80°C) and high pressure (1160-1450 PSI) washing, plus water submersions of up to 1.5m for 30 minutes.
What’s more, they’ve switched from their previous push-pull connectors to custom-designed bayonet connectors that secure the cable to the sensor. These connectors are so secure that they’re used in aerospace applications.
Starting from July, all new Ouster sensors will come with upgraded connectors, as well as new cable options.
Firmware v1.12
Ouster recently released Firmware v1.12 to fix some false positives in the point cloud and correct the signs of its IMU data. The update includes retroreflector fixes to give clearer and cleaner point clouds, plus corrected IMU axis directions so that the coordinates coming from the internal IMU match the coordinates coming from the sensor.
Watch the clip below with the new 1.12 firmware update:
Field test: car wash
Ouster took its new sensor through the car wash to show how it handles heavy water and soap – standard procedure field testing to gauge point cloud performance with water on the window.
The results speak for themselves. Check it out below:
Ouster’s rugged 3D sensors handle everything that you throw at them. View the range here.
