San Francisco based lidar manufacturer Ouster has introduced a new generation of sensors designed to combine camera imaging and depth sensing into a single device. The new lineup, called Rev8, features what the company describes as native color lidar, allowing the sensors to capture both three dimensional spatial data and color imagery simultaneously.
Chief Executive Officer Angus Pacala said the development aims to eliminate the need for separate camera and lidar systems, which have traditionally required complex calibration and data fusion. By integrating both capabilities into one sensor, the technology is expected to simplify perception systems used in autonomous vehicles, robotics, and other machine vision applications.
The launch comes at a time of rapid change in the lidar industry, marked by consolidation and rising demand from sectors such as self driving vehicles and industrial robotics. Ouster’s approach relies on its digital lidar architecture, using single photon avalanche diode technology to capture both imaging and depth data on the same chip, producing a unified stream that can be used as either visual or spatial input.
Industry observers say the innovation could reduce system complexity and cost for companies building autonomous systems, while improving performance in environments where precise perception is critical. Ouster said it has begun shipping samples to customers and is targeting applications including robotaxis, autonomous trucking, and drones, as competition intensifies with rivals also developing similar integrated sensing technologies.