LiDAR Depth Sensor Touted as World’s Smallest and Lightest
The Overview: A “Go-Anywhere” LiDAR Sensor
Sony’s AS-DT1 direct-time-of-flight LiDAR depth sensor, said to be the world’s smallest and lightest device of its kind, offers fast, accurate measurements, distance resolution, and measuring range.
Who Needs It & Why: Fast, Accurate LiDAR Depth Sensing in a Tiny Form Factor
At just 29 × 29 × 31 mm (roughly 1.14 in. wide × 1.14 in. tall × 1.22 in. deep, excluding protrusions), and weighing only 50 g (about 1.76 oz.), the AS-DT1 leverages miniaturization and optical-lens technologies from Sony's machine-vision industrial cameras. Thus, it's well-suited for applications where space and weight constraints are paramount, including drones, robotics, and more.
Under the Hood: Direct-Time-of-Flight LiDAR Technology
A key element of the AS-DT1 is its application of direct-time-of-flight (dToF) LiDAR technology, which produces fast and accurate measurement, distance resolution, and measuring range. The device’s dToF ranging module, equipped with a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) sensor, uses multiple ranging points for distance measurement. It can accurately measure distances in three dimensions: length, width, and depth.
The sensor can also measure at various distances—for example, at 10 meters (about 32.8 ft.) with a margin of ±5 cm (nearly 2 in.) both indoors and outdoors. It also can accurately measure distances to various objects that are difficult to detect with other ranging methods. This includes low-contrast subjects, objects with low reflectivity, and floating objects, making it a good fit for integration into robots used in environments such as stores and warehouses.
Long Measurement Range
The AS-DT1 accurately measures at distances of 40 meters (about 131.23 ft.) indoors and 20 meters (about 65.6 ft.) outdoors under bright summer conditions (assuming 100,000 lux), which can be challenging when inspecting infrastructure like bridges, highways, and dams.
Use of an aluminum alloy for the structure balances lightweight design and robustness. The compact housing makes it easy to integrate into various devices, such as autonomous mobile robots, that have limited space for depth sensors, and drones where weight can impact flight time and distance.
The AS-DT1 is expected to be available in Spring 2026. A prototype will first be exhibited in the United States at Xponential in Houston, May 20-22, 2025.
