Category Archives: Space

Ouster says its new lidar is gaining traction in drone mapping

15 Tuesday Sep 2026

Posted by in News, Aerospace, Drones, Lidar, Ouster, Space, Technology

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Drone mapping of Buena Vista Park using the new Ouster system. Photo: Ouster.

SAN FRANCISCO – Lidar sensor maker Ouster said Monday that its Rev8 OS1 Max system is being adopted by drone manufacturers and payload integrators for aerial mapping and infrastructure inspections, citing improved accuracy and native color imaging.

The San Francisco-based company said its Rev8 OS1 Max combines three-dimensional lidar data with RGB color in a single sensor, eliminating the need to combine data from separate lidar and camera systems.

Ouster said the new sensor offers twice the accuracy and precision of the previous-generation Rev7 OS1 Max. It has a precision of 0.25 centimeters and accuracy of 1.25 centimeters, according to the company.

The sensor has 256 vertical channels and can detect objects up to 200 meters away under specified conditions. Ouster said a smaller laser spot allows the sensor to maintain detailed mapping capabilities when drones operate at higher altitudes.

Photo: Ouster.

The company said the technology is intended for applications including utility inspections, infrastructure mapping and aerial surveying.

Flying at higher altitudes can allow drones to cover larger areas while maintaining the ability to identify small features on the ground.

The native-color capability also improves the alignment of three-dimensional and visual data because both are captured by the same sensor rather than being combined from separate systems, the company said.

Ouster develops and manufactures lidar sensors and related sensing technology for applications including robotics, autonomous vehicles, industrial automation and drones.

Canada is a key partner in Astrosat

28 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in Astrosat, Business, Canada, CSA, India, ISRO, News, PSLV, Science, Space, Telescope

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CSA“Congratulations ISRO! We’re happy to be on board,” the Canadian Space Agency tweeted Monday morning after India successfully launched a dedicated space observatory aimed at studying celestial objects.

The 1.5-tonne Astrosat was placed into orbit by the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, the Indian Space Research Organization said.

The PSLV also launched six foreign satellites, including a nanosatellite from the University of Toronto’s Space Flight Laboratory.

“This scientific satellite mission endeavours for a more detailed understanding of our universe,” ISRO said.

as3“Astrosat is designed to observe the universe in the visible, ultraviolet, low and high energy X-ray regions of the electromagnetic spectrum simultaneously with the help of its five payloads,” the space agency said.

One of those payloads, the Ultraviolet Imaging Telescope, was built in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency.

Dr. John Hutchings of the National Research Council Canada is the principal investigator for Canada’s contribution.

Hutchings co-led the development of the three Canadian detectors for the UVIT, CSA said.

“By exploring distant galaxies in ultraviolet light, we can study the formation and life cycle of galaxies, as well as star formation within galaxies. That’s one of the science drivers of this project,” it quoted Hutchings as saying.

AstrosatCanada’s participation in Astrosat entitles Canadian scientists to observation time on the satellite, the agency said.

The PSLV is the workhorse of the Indian space program. It has launched 84 satellites since 1994, including 51 for customers abroad.

Images are courtesy of ISRO.