When we are doing robot projects, we often encounter such problems: robots in complex environments always "can't see" certain obstacles. It could be that the sensors are too heavy and have insufficient battery life; or the blind zone is too large, and the robot collides with low objects; or the sensors fail in rainy or foggy weather, causing the robot to "go blind."

Recently, we have tried the TanTu Zhixing M360 LiDAR in several different projects, which has completely solved these problems. Today, let's talk about what makes this sensor different in combination with actual application scenarios.

Let's talk about several typical application scenarios.

For warehouse AGVs, a 5cm blind zone is crucial for obstacle avoidance.

In the storage of e-commerce warehouses, AGVs often need to navigate between shelves. The aisles between these shelves are only 1 meter wide and are filled with boxes. The blind zone of traditional LiDAR is generally 10-20cm, which means obstacles 5-10cm high at the bottom of the robot are not detectable.

For example, in a case where an AGV turned in a narrow aisle, there was a 5cm-high wire protection groove under the tire, and the robot almost pressed the cable. After replacing the M360, because the blind zone is only 5cm, this low obstacle can be detected 1 meter in advance, and the AGV will actively slow down and detour.

The problems encountered by cleaning robots in shopping malls

Hotel lobbies or shopping mall cleaning robots often have to deal with "transparent obstacles" such as glass doors and transparent glass curtain walls. Traditional single echo radar either penetrates through transparent objects without seeing the obstacles behind, or the reflected signals are too strong, leading to misjudgments.

A customer feedback that their cleaning robot often "stands still" in front of glass doors, thinking there is no way forward. The dual echo mode of the M360 can simultaneously detect objects in front and behind the glass, avoiding the glass while not missing the pedestrians behind.

The plight of outdoor robots in the rain

For outdoor robots in ports and mining areas, the biggest challenge is severe weather. When it rains, single echo radar can be interfered by raindrops, either missing obstacles or producing a large number of noise points that make the robot "unclear."

In a logistics park in the south, during rainy days, the AGV frequently reported errors, saying that there were "all obstacles" ahead, which was actually interference from raindrops. After replacing it with the M360 with rain and fog detection, the system would automatically filter out the raindrop signals, and only real obstacles would trigger an alarm.

The actual performance parameters of the M360.

About that reassuring 5cm blind zone.

We have used many LiDARs before, and their blind zones were generally 10-15cm. When working on sweeping robot projects, we often encounter low obstacles like furniture legs and wires. A 10cm blind zone means the robot cannot see these objects from a distance of 1 meter, making collisions likely.

Although the 5cm blind zone of the M360 adds weight, it is particularly valuable in practical projects. For example, service robots moving around in office spaces can encounter common obstacles like table and chair legs, which are generally 5-15cm in height. With a 5cm blind zone, the robot can detect these obstacles 0.5-1 meter in advance, giving it enough time to adjust its path.

The impact of 4.5W power consumption on battery life.

For battery-powered robots, power consumption directly determines the battery life. We have done a comparison, and the M360 is about 30% more energy-efficient than other radars with the same battery capacity.

In a patrol robot project, the original battery could only support 3 hours of operation, but after replacing the M360, the battery life was extended to 4 hours. This means that the same amount of work can reduce the number of charging times or complete more tasks within the same charging cycle.

The advantage of a 70-degree vertical field of view.

Traditional LiDARs typically have a vertical field of view of 50-60 degrees, which can easily miss detection in complex scenarios. The 70-degree vertical field of view of the M360 allows the robot to "see" more comprehensively.

When working on AGV projects, we found that many obstacles are slanted, such as labels on shelf edges and brackets for pipelines. These objects have special vertical positions, and the 70-degree perspective allows the robot to detect them earlier.

Rain and fog detection is not just a marketing trick

I used to think that rain and fog detection was just marketing talk, but after actual testing, I realized its importance. During the rainy season in the south, a common LiDAR can generate thousands of noise points per second, resulting in a high rate of system misjudgment.

The M360's rain and fog detection identifies the reflection characteristics of raindrops and filters out these interference signals. In actual testing, the false alarm rate in rainy weather was reduced by 90%, and the robot will not stop working due to "false obstacles."

Some experiences in actual deployment

Adjustment of installation location

Because the M360 is relatively heavy (408g), we need to adjust the center of gravity when designing the robot. For example, when installing it on the top of an AGV, it is necessary to appropriately reduce the weight of other equipment or lower the position of the M360.

Details of cable layout

The power supply range of the M360 is 12-32V, wider than many radar systems' 9-27V range. This is advantageous for vehicle power supplies, but voltage stability should be noted. We recommend adding a filtering capacitor at the power supply end to avoid voltage fluctuations affecting the sensor's operation.

Considerations for ROS integration.

The non-repetitive scanning mode makes the point cloud data richer, but also requires higher data processing capabilities. During our tests on the Raspberry Pi 4B, there was a slight delay in point cloud processing, so we recommend using a more powerful embedded platform.

Cost-benefit analysis

Although the procurement cost of the M360 is higher than some entry-level radars, from the perspective of overall usage cost, it is actually more cost-effective.

First, the failure rate is reduced. Traditional radar has a higher failure rate in certain environments, while the industrial-grade protection of the M360 reduces the failure rate by 60%.

Secondly, labor costs. Since the sensor is more reliable, the time engineers spend on-site debugging is reduced, shortening the overall project cycle.

Finally, there is the maintenance cost. The IP67 rating makes the sensor less prone to water and dust, significantly reducing the repair rate.

Some suggestions.

If your project is indoors and weight-sensitive, consider the MID-360.

If working in harsh environments, especially where stable operation in rainy and foggy weather is required, the M360 is highly recommended.

For scenarios with high blind zone requirements, the 5cm advantage is very real.

For battery-powered devices, a power consumption of 4.5W indeed brings a significant improvement in battery life.

In actual use, the M360 gives me a sense of reliability. Its advantage is not that any parameter is particularly outstanding, but rather the reliability of the overall solution. For us who are doing robot projects, stability is more important than parameters that look good.

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