Sonair built its 3D ultrasonic sensor with robotic safety in mind | TechCrunch

As robots increasingly enter human spaces, robot companies will need to think about security differently than robots when they are isolated from most of the human peers.

Sonair It believes its sensors can help robot companies achieve their safety goals – the solution is both better and cheaper than popular LiDAR technology.

The Oslo, Norway-based company built an ADAR (acoustic detection and range) sensor for robots using high-frequency sound. These sensors emit ultrasound and capture how the sound echoes. These signals provide a three-dimensional view of the robot’s surroundings.

The data complements the robot’s other sensors and cameras to give the robot’s operating system a clearer understanding of the environment.

“Perception of humans – we use our eyes most often, but we also use other senses to perceive our environment, ears, and brain to explain all of our senses,” Sonair said in an interview with TechCrunch. “The same is true for robots or automatic machines. They are using cameras. Cameras are really great and understand the environment, but they are not suitable for reliably detecting objects in any case.”

Sonair is designed to help fill these gaps, especially for deep perception. Traditionally, robotics companies have turned to LiDAR sensors, which emit light beams and measure how they bounce back to collect this information. Sandven said Sonair’s sensors are a better option because they capture more comprehensive data.

“Lidar is like brushing a laser pointer,” Sandwin said. “[But] If you yell in the room, you will be filled with voice. We will be filled with voices. ”

The output of the sensor is structured in standard industry form, so it is designed to work with a variety of different robotic hardware and software, Sandven said.

Sang Wen said the company released sensors earlier this year and since then, demand in the robotics sector has been strong, with multiple companies planning to include Sonair’s sensors in its next robot model.

Sonair also sees demand from the industrial security industry. Sandven said the company is using these sensors to detect when people enter areas with heavy machinery so that the machine can be automatically shut down before an accident occurs.

Now, Sonair hopes to expand adoption of its technology and raises $6 million in the round. This round includes new and returned investor-scale capital, Norwegian state-backed investors and preparatory classes, etc.

Sandwin said investors active in robotics immediately understood the problems the company wanted to solve. This is not surprising, as robots start to interact more with humans, which could become a major issue, unlike the security conversation that emerged in the early days of the autonomous vehicle industry.

General partner Fady Saad, in Robotics-focused Cybernetix Ventures, who is not a Sonair investor, recently told TechCrunch that potential security issues are one of the reasons he doesn’t want people to want people at home soon.

Saad told TechCrunch in August that “a dirty secret of humanoid creatures at home, with a lot of security and a lot of concerns.” “If this happens to a pet or a child, it hurts them, right? It’s just one aspect of a big obstacle that no one pays attention to, or very few people pay attention to.”

Sandwin said Sannell is not currently directly competing for its sonar-based sensors, but that could change as more companies try to find security solutions for robots.

“My goal is to use this technology in all robots like a camera,” Sangwen said. “If we talk again during this time next year, we will have a good sign whether this is where we are heading.”