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Sensors Are the Key to Unlocking Exponential Innovation

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The Internet of Things (IoT) is revolutionizing our interactions with our surroundings – and the high-level functioning of businesses around the world. At the root of this technological transformation are tiny microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) that sense environmental stimuli and integrate them with AI learnings, driving exponential innovation that enables companies to continuously optimize operations.

In a TED-style talk at the 2023 Dubai Business Forum, Omnitron Sensors Co-founder & CEO Eric Aguilar explained the critical role of sensor systems in robotics and autonomous platforms — which are systems that analyze data from connected devices to assist global industries in making informed decisions.

In describing his unique set of skills and experiences, which combine expertise in sensor development with the design of autonomous systems, Eric gave Dubai Forum attendees an overview of his professional journey to date: Having started his career building sensors for drones at US Navy Research Labs, Eric moved to a startup that licensed Navy IP to build a revolutionary motion sensor. This led to an acquisition by Google, where Eric transitioned to developing autonomous systems. As the avionics lead at X, Eric actualized development for Google project Wing, an autonomous drone delivery service. Then it was off to Telsa where he led firmware and sensor integration efforts for the Model 3.

Having witnessed firsthand the potential of LiDAR in the vision systems used in cars and other autonomous robotics, Eric also experienced the frustration of being handed a technology that was saddled with limitations. Undaunted, he and his founding team launched Omnitron Sensors in 2019 to fix LiDAR — which also required a kickstarting innovation in the MEMS industry.

As one of 32 speakers across 24 sessions addressing and interacting with 2,000+ delegates from 49 countries, Eric was delighted to present at the Dubai Business Forum, a curated audience featuring expert panels, visionary speakers and deal opportunities designed to shape the future of international business. For more information, visit https://dubaibusinessforum.com/

Why Isn’t LiDAR in Every Autonomous Navigation System?

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The mechanical engineer Karl Friedrich Benz invented the first motor car powered by a gasoline combustion engine in 1884/1885. Benz, Gottlieb Daimler, Wilhelm Maybach and other pioneering inventors of early motor cars would have been hard-pressed to imagine modern cars, many of which offer advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that improve automotive safety, independent of the operator.

Karl Friedrich Benz’s Benz Patent-Motorwagen, circa 1885/86

The possibility of fully self-driving cars, self-flying cargo planes, and package-delivery drones would have seemed even more far-fetched to these 19th-century engineers. But as 21st-century engineers, we recognize that ADAS, robotic cars, drones, and industrial robotics—all applications featuring some level of autonomous functionality—are not pie-in-the-sky imaginings. And the key to realizing them commercially is the perfection of LiDAR.

LiDAR—which stands for light detection and ranging—is essential to autonomous navigation. In fact, it does so much more than the more mature vision technologies, cameras and radar, which are also used in autonomous systems. Only LiDAR provides depth and functions seamlessly at all levels of light. It also delivers phenomenal resolution, so it can perceive both moving and stationary objects—another critical advantage over cameras and radar.

Given LiDAR’s technical strengths, why isn’t it ubiquitous?

As a sensor IP company with an executive team that also has years of experience with LiDAR, we’ve given this a lot of thought. And we’d like to share this with you.

Read Omnitron CEO Eric Aguilar’s article in EE Times, Want Better Autonomous Navigation? Start with LiDAR.

Or email us today for more information.

And if you’re interested in the history of the automobile, check out this Library of Congress page.