‘Discover’ how Seoul Robotics is Democratizing LiDAR
January 7, 2021 — Three years ago, we founded Seoul Robotics to show the world what LiDAR is truly capable of through AI software in mobility. Since, we’ve been quickly expanding into new countries and industries, driven by our mission to democratize LiDAR and bring the power of 3D perception to the masses.
Imagine a cruise ship that knows instantly if someone’s fallen overboard; a city that can immediately alert other drivers and first responders if a car’s going the wrong way; or a retail store that can optimize the use of their space with insights on how customers move through the store and engage with employees and products aisle by aisle. When paired with perception software, 3D sensors — like LiDAR sensors, 3D cameras, and imaging radar — can do all of these things, creating more efficient businesses and cities, and ultimately, a safer world. Historically, these sensors and the software that enables insights from their data have been siloed within the automotive industry, deemed too expensive for mass appeal, but right now that’s changing. With advancements in the development of 3D sensors, the cost of LiDAR is coming down dramatically, and we’re already starting to see wider adoption (see: Apple’s latest iPhone).
Today, we are excited to announce a major milestone in further accelerating the broad adoption of 3D sensors: the launch of our first commercial product, Discovery. Discovery is an LPU (LiDAR Processing Unit) solution: an all-in-one sensor and software platform that simplifies the LiDAR experience, making it easier for companies, cities, and universities to implement 3D data insights into their systems and processes. Discovery provides everything necessary — including hardware and our proprietary SENSR software, which is compatible with over 70 different types and brands of 3D sensors — to quickly set up and deploy LiDAR-based solutions for applications ranging from smart city, smart factory, and smart home to logistics, robotics and more.
Until Seoul Robotics, there was no bridge between LiDAR manufacturers and companies and industries outside the automotive market that could benefit from the insights provided by 3D data. By opening access to LiDAR with Discovery, Seoul Robotics is lowering the barrier to entry to 3D data insights and accelerating the adoption of LiDAR technology across industries so companies and cities can quickly benefit from these now-affordable sensors without having to develop software on their own.
Over the last several months we’ve been working with multiple partners to test and deploy Discovery, and have been encouraged by the results we’ve seen thus far:
- Late last year, it was announced that BMW had selected Seoul Robotics as a Tier 1 software provider. We’re working closely with Swiss directional software start-up, EmboTech, to develop a SaaS fleet automation platform which will be used for automated functions for internal logistic and assembly processes at BMW HQ in Munich.
- We’ve partnered with Mercedes Benz to provide laser accurate customer journey solutions in its retail showrooms.
- We also work with Qualcomm and multiple Departments of Transportation, both in the US and abroad, on a number of smart city applications, from wrong-way detection (particularly on off-ramps) to pedestrian safety at intersections.
Although 2020 was a challenging year, we feel grateful for all that we were able to accomplish at Seoul Robotics. In addition to the several partnerships we’ve embarked on as well as preparing for the launch of Discovery, we also expanded our team and opened offices in Michigan, Silicon Valley, and Munich. We have plans to continue to add to our team this year; if you’re interested in joining us, please visit our hiring page to view and apply for open positions
We hope you’ll continue on this journey with us, as we have many more exciting updates to share in the coming months. Be sure to check back here or connect with us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/seoul-robotics.
As Forbes said, we don’t make robots — we make robots intelligent with the latest 3D computer vision technolgy.
Cheers,
HanBin Lee, Captain of Seoul Robotics
