After nearly 60 years in the automatic door and transportation sensor business, BEA Sensors is officially making its first step into the factory and logistics automation and presented two new products at CeMAT 2023: the LZR®-VISIOSCAN RD, a laser scanner for navigation and obstacle avoidance in mobile robots, and the LZR® RAW-F120, an ultra-thin laser scanner for measurement data output.

Why Now? Why BEA?

Due to increased e-commerce activity worldwide, demand for mobile robots is expanding. According to survey data, The Mobile Robots Market size is estimated at USD 6.99 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 23.56 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 27.5% during the forecast period (2024-2029). Intelligent environmental perception and autonomous navigation are essential for robots to achieve mobility. These robots require an accurate perception of dynamic environments to determine their location, destination, and how to get there and complete their task in the shortest time possible while ensuring safety. Smart sensors are at the heart of this process.

Founded in Belgium in 1965, BEA has specialized in the niche market of sensors for nearly six decades. It is one of the global manufacturers with the highest annual production volume of laser scanners. In the European market, where product quality and experience are highly valued and with long-established companies abound, BEA is the market leader in automatic door sensors.

With intelligent manufacturing and industrial automation underway, BEA has been following the developments in industrial automation with interest. The company has partnered with Leuze, a company recognized for its innovations and technological milestones in industrial automation, to develop new solutions to better support customers working towards high-quality manufacturing through industrial automation. BEA has now turned its attention to mobile robots.

At the recent CeMAT Expo 2023, BEA unveiled the LZR®-VISIOSCAN RD, a laser scanner for mobile robot navigation and obstacle avoidance. This is the company’s first step into the mobile robot sector.

LZR®-VISIOSCAN RD—Small size, big power!

The LZR®-VISIOSCAN RD is a laser scanner that scans a single curtain over a scanning angle of 275°. The scanner outputs accurate measurement data at a high scanning frequency through Ethernet communication, enabling further processing to achieve a variety of applications such as navigation and obstacle avoidance for AGV/AMRs, etc.

Robust Build, Maximising Performance

The scanner’s compact size with a height of only 73.8mm makes it easier to integrate onto any type of AGV or AMR. The vibration and shock resistance reaching class 5M2 & ingress protection enclosure of IP67 ensures stable performance even in harsh environments.

Precise Measurements, Ideal for SLAM Navigation

LZR®-VISIOSCAN RD generates high density measurement data due to its angular resolution of up to 0.1º. The point cloud of the environmental contour is stable and consistent, independent of environmental lighting, target colour, and background interferences making it ideal for SLAM navigation and obstacle avoidance.

Maximum detection distance is 7m for 1.8% reflectivity objects and 15m for 10% reflectivity objects. reflective intensity data output can be used to assist in locating reflective columns or docking charging posts more accurately.

Competitive measurement accuracy and stability, with a systematic error of +/- 20mm and a minimum statistical error of 6mm, ensure high quality reproduction of environmental profile information;

The 275 scanning angle provides AGVs/AMRs with a wide field of view to perceive almost any complex environment.

Intelligent Window Monitoring System

The innovative and intelligent window monitoring system can instantly identify the zone and level of any contaminant on the optical window. Contamination thresholds are user defined and warnings alerted to users for preventive maintenance.

Smart and Intuitive Commissioning

The Visioscan Set software makes commissioning, configuration, and troubleshooting easy and convenient. With the BEA ROS Driver, and SDK, this sensor can be easily integrated into AGV & AMR systems.

VISIOSCAN SET Software

Visioscan Set is a Windows software that lets you configure the scanner and visualize the real-time detection point cloud. Parameters can be configured easily thanks to its intuitive user interface. Configurations can also be saved to file and loaded onto other scanners, making commissioning quick and easy. Troubleshooting is convenient with the Visioscan Set, as the error log and other scanner status, such as the window contamination, is readily available. Visioscan Set can be downloaded from BEA’s website.

BEA’s product roadmap indicates a long-term commitment to the mobile robot sector rather than a short-term campaign. The company is developing several products tailored to different mobile robot applications.

BEA has launched the LZR® RAW-F120, an ultra-thin laser scanner with measurement data output. With a height of only 18mm, the sensor can be easily integrated into any flat AGVs or forklift fork tip. It also offers exceptional detection performance, capable of effectively detecting black objects up to 4 meters away.

This is our first step into this field. BEA will take further steps into the field of laser scanners for mobile robots, and plans to launch other such products to continuously explore and expand the markets.

Factory & Logistic Automation Solutions