Velodyne Lidar Signs Multi-Year Sales Agreement with Emesent
January 26, 2021 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 2 minutes

Velodyne Lidar, Inc. has announced a multi-year sales agreement to provide Puck LITE™ sensors to Emesent, a world-leader in drone autonomy, lidar mapping and data analytics. Emesent is using Velodyne’s lidar sensors to power its award-winning Hovermap mobile scanning system for mapping hazardous and GPS-denied environments.
Hovermap, which can be hand-held or mounted to a drone, uses Puck LITE lidar as its primary perception and mapping sensor. Equally capable above ground or underground, indoors or out, Hovermap combines advanced collision avoidance and autonomous flight technologies to map challenging, inaccessible areas. Hovermap has a colorization feature for its 3D point clouds that brings additional context for visualization and analysis.
Hovermap provides high-quality data capture for the mining, construction/infrastructure, forestry, defense, oil and gas, and film industries. Hovermap customer Daniel Thomas of XM2, a leader in drone cinematography in Australia, said, “When operating on a live set to capture VFX data in the film industry, speed is key. We use the Hovermap now to cover areas that traditionally had no effective lidar capture method, including above buildings and around complex set pieces, in a fraction of the time a terrestrial lidar takes. We can now operate between takes, capturing areas that would normally take an hour in five minutes.”
“The Velodyne Puck LITE lidar is an extraordinary sensor for mobile mapping systems due to its compact size, light weight and high performance,” said Dr. Stefan Hrabar, Emesent CEO. “The sensor helped us create game-changing technology that can obtain vital data in challenging environments in real time without risking the machine or operator safety.”
Dr. Hrabar will discuss how to address autonomous exploration in challenging inaccessible environments during a Velodyne Lidar LIVE! webinar on January 28, 2021 at 1:00 p.m. PST. For free attendance, click here: Emesent webinar registration.
“Emesent’s inventive use of Velodyne’s lidar sensors is enabling rapid autonomous mobile scanning that safely delivers operational insights in a range of applications,” said Anand Gopalan, CEO, Velodyne Lidar. “Hovermap provides an excellent showcase of how Puck LITE’s 360-degree capture capability enables companies to produce high quality, accurate, georeferenced point cloud data.”
Velodyne Puck LITE sensors deliver a high-resolution image to measure and analyze indoor and outdoor environments. Designed for applications that require a sensor with a low weight and compact size, Puck LITE delivers outstanding resolution and performance for mobile and UAV/drone applications. It provides a full 360-degree environmental view to deliver real-time 3D data.
Suggested Items
IBM Officially Closes Deal, Acquiring DataStax
05/30/2025 | I-Connect007On May 28, DataStax announced that its acquisition by IBM had officially closed. The open-source database company based in Santa Clarita, California, announced the deal earlier this year, as part of its vision to accelerate AI production and NoSQL data at scale.
Standards: The Roadmap for Your Ideal Data Package
05/29/2025 | Andy Shaughnessy, Design007 MagazineIn this interview, IPC design instructor Kris Moyer explains how standards can help you ensure that your data package has all the information your fabricator and assembler need to build your board the way you designed it, allowing them to use their expertise. As Kris says, even with IPC standards, there’s still an art to conveying the right information in your documentation.
Driving Innovation: Traceability in PCB Production
05/29/2025 | Kurt Palmer -- Column: Driving InnovationTraceability across the entire printed circuit board production process is an increasingly important topic among established manufacturers and companies considering new PCB facilities. The reasons are apparent: Automatic loading of part programs, connection with MES systems and collection of production data, and compliance with Industry 4.0 requirements
Smart Automation: AI—Revolutionizing Inspection in Electronics Manufacturing
05/27/2025 | Josh Casper -- Column: Smart AutomationArtificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a staple in our personal and professional lives. In electronics manufacturing, integrating AI to combat common inefficiencies and to contextualize data will open new doors into how we supplement our traditional processes. In some specific areas of the electronics manufacturing process, integration of AI on the factory floor is already having a tremendous effect. One such area is PCBA inspection, particularly 3D automated optical inspection (AOI) systems.
Standard of Excellence: The Role of Technology in Enhancing the Customer Experience
05/28/2025 | Anaya Vardya -- Column: Standard of ExcellenceMaya Angelou said, “People will not remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.” This makes me think about the importance of delivering an exceptional customer experience. Businesses that embrace technology to streamline interactions, personalize services, and create seamless engagements set new benchmarks in customer satisfaction. Integrating advanced technologies into customer service improves efficiency, enhances engagement, fosters loyalty, and drives business success.