Sony FCB camera block
AS the world’s smallest and lightest miniature precision LiDAR depth sensor, SONY AS-DT1 integrates multiple innovative technologies and achieves breakthroughs in terms of size, accuracy, environmental adaptability and integration.
1.Ultra-miniaturization and lightweight design
Size and weight: The SONY AS-DT1 measures only 29mm × 29mm × 31mm (excluding protruding parts) and weighs only 50 grams, setting a new industry record and becoming the world’s smallest and lightest LiDAR depth sensor.
Application scenarios: The compact design of SONY AS-DT1 is highly suitable for application scenarios with strict requirements for space and weight, such AS unmanned aerial vehicles and robots, for example, inspection unmanned aerial vehicles and warehouse robots.
2. High-precision Direct Time-of-flight (dToF) ranging technology
Technical principle: The AS-DT1 adopts SONY’s proprietary dToF ranging module. By measuring the time required for photons to travel from emission to the object’s reflection back to the sensor, the distance is accurately calculated.
Core sensor: The SONY AS-DT1 is equipped with a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensor, which has an extremely high photon detection efficiency. It can accurately capture signals even in a weak reflected light environment, significantly improving measurement accuracy.
Measurement performance:
Indoor and outdoor accuracy: At a distance of 10 meters, the ranging error of SONY AS-DT1 in indoor and outdoor environments is less than ±5 centimeters.
Long-distance measurement: The SONY AS-DT1 can reach up to 40 meters indoors and up to 20 meters under outdoor strong light conditions (100,000 lux).
Complex scene adaptability: The SONY AS-DT1 can effectively measure low-contrast targets, low-reflectivity objects and suspended objects, and adapt to complex dynamic environments such AS retail stores and warehouses.
3. Robust and durable structural design
Housing material: SONY AS-DT1 adopts a robust and durable aluminum alloy housing, endowing the sensor with outstanding adaptability and reliability.
Integration advantage: The compact and lightweight design of SONY AS-DT1 facilitates integration into space-constrained devices, such AS inspection or mapping drones, autonomous mobile robots, etc.
4. Extensive application potential
Infrastructure inspection: The SONY AS-DT1 is suitable for the inspection of infrastructure such AS Bridges, highways, and DAMS.
Robot integration: SONY AS-DT1 can flexibly meet the robot integration requirements in environments such AS stores and warehouses, providing reliable depth perception capabilities.
5. Comparison of technical advantages
Compared with traditional ranging methods: SONY AS-DT1 performs exceptionally well in complex scenarios (such AS low-contrast targets and low-reflectivity objects), solving ranging problems that are difficult for traditional methods to achieve.
Compared with CMOS sensors: SPAD sensors achieve detection by digitally counting individual photon particles, avoiding the noise and accuracy issues caused by the accumulation of light in traditional CMOS sensors, and far exceed CMOS sensors in photon efficiency.
6. Present the plan
At the 10th Shenzhen International Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Exhibition in 2025, Xuanzhan Technology will showcase the SONY S-DT1 with great fantry. This will also be its first appearance in China. Industry experts, peers and relevant personnel are welcome to visit Xuanzhan Technology to experience its charm.
The SONY AS-DT1 is expected to be officially launched in the spring of 2026.
Summary
The SONY AS-DT1 lidar depth sensor, with its high-precision measurement, long measurement range, compact and lightweight design, and strong environmental adaptability, has become an ideal choice in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles.
SONY AS-DT1 can significantly enhance the navigation and obstacle avoidance capabilities of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), extend the endurance time, and improve the operational stability in complex environments, providing strong support for UAVs in multiple application scenarios.