OS2 laser ranging sensor

The Ouster OS2 is a long-range LiDAR sensor for outdoor perception on drones, autonomous vehicles and other large professional platforms. Ouster offers it in 128, 64 and 32 vertical channel versions (OS2-128, OS2-64, OS2-32), and the three share the same housing dimensions, so a mount designed for one can take another.

The OS2 is designed to measure distances to surrounding objects with laser pulses and return a three-dimensional point cloud. Ouster specifies a range of 200 m on targets of 10% reflectivity and a maximum range of 400 m. The vertical field of view is 22.5 degrees, and the sensor produces up to 2.62 million points per second at a frame rate of up to 20 Hz. Maximum precision is stated as +/-2 cm. For an integrator, the long range and the narrow vertical window suit forward-looking tasks such as detecting obstacles and terrain ahead of a fast-moving platform, rather than close-in coverage around the airframe.

Beam spacing can be chosen from uniform, gradient, above-horizon and below-horizon patterns, which lets the integrator concentrate vertical resolution where the mission needs it, for example below the horizon for ground-following or above it for overhead clearance.

The sensor is built for indoor and outdoor all-weather operation. Ouster states an IP69K rating for its sensors in general, covering high-pressure washing and immersion in water to 1 m, and the water-ingress protection only applies when the I/O cable is plugged in and its collet locked past the detent. Thermal design needs attention on an airframe: the sensor begins limiting laser shots at 55 degC, with range and precision that can fall by up to 20% in that state, and it may shut off above 61 degC. Ouster recommends keeping ambient air below 50 degC and holding the base and top within 25 degC of ambient, ideally by mounting to a thermally conductive plate such as 6061 aluminium (167 W/m-K).

Mechanical integration uses M3 screws to attach the sensor to a surface and M8 screws for the base plate, with a recommended tightening torque of 120 cN-m for A2 stainless steel screws. The electrical connection is a single I/O cable that plugs into a panel-mount connector on the sensor base. The delivered kit includes an interface box, a 24 V AC/DC power supply with a 2 m lead and a 1 m RJ45 cable for the host network link. A black drain wire is supplied for optional shield bonding and is not tied to any sensor pin.

Typical applications named by the maker include autonomous mobility, robotics and drones, traffic and intelligent transportation systems, security, industrial automation and large-scale infrastructure monitoring. On unmanned aircraft the OS2 is a candidate for detect-and-avoid research, mapping, corridor inspection and landing-zone assessment, where its reach gives the flight controller time to react. Mass, power draw, laser class and numeric dimensions should be taken from the maker datasheet and CAD files before platform design is frozen.