Ouster, Third Wave to Automate Material Handling Vehicles with Digital Lidar
March 3, 2022
Ouster, which develops high-resolution digital lidar sensors, has announced signing a strategic customer agreement with Third Wave Automation, which develops autonomous systems for the material handling industry. The agreement forecasts the delivery of more than 5,000 OS sensors through 2025 to equip robotic material handling vehicles with 3D digital lidar, part of Third Wave’s autonomous driving sensor suite.
Through its advanced perception software and autonomy platform, Third Wave combines autonomous vehicles, fleet management, remote operation and assistance features to material handling solutions that improve over time. Vehicles, including forklifts, will be equipped with up to four Ouster sensors to carry out tasks such as object detection, localization, and mapping. The Third Wave offering can also be built into new vehicles, including those developed through its strategic partnership with Toyota Industrial Corporation. Vehicles can operate in manual, remote control, or fully autonomous modes, giving customers flexibility in their task management, Third Wave said.
“After a series of tests with several other lidar technologies, we selected Ouster’s OS sensors for their high resolution and reliability, along with their ability to detect obstacles close to the vehicle,” said Mac Mason, co-founder and chief robotics officer at Third Wave. “We view Ouster as the performance leader in 3D lidar and as a dependable long-term partner to scale with as Third Wave’s business grows.”
Ouster said its total addressable market for the industrial vertical to reach $2.1 billion by 2025, driven by the materials handling market, which is expected to grow to $321 billion by 2027. Demand for automation is expected to occur in warehouses, manufacturing floors, ports and distribution yards.
“Ouster continues to win new customers in the industrial vertical, which is ripe for automation with 3D digital lidar,” said Nate Dickerman, president of field operations at Ouster. “Our two companies see an incredible opportunity to help modernize the supply chain through automated technologies that increase safety, efficiency, and productivity.”
For more information on Third Wave Automation’s systems, visit its website here. For details on Ouster’s lidar technologies, visit its website here.
