Drone Obstacle Avoidance: Millimeter Wave Radar

LiDAR stands for Light Detection and Ranging and is a remote sensing method used to measure the precise distance of objects on the Earth's surface. LiDAR is mounted on aircraft such as airplanes, helicopters or drones for data collection. Millimeter-wave radar is used to determine the exact location of obstacles in the surrounding environment, generate data, and guide the drone in a better direction to avoid impact.

Millimeter wave (mmWave) is a special radar technology that uses short-wavelength electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic wave signal emitted by the radar system is blocked and then reflected by objects in its transmission path. By capturing reflected signals, radar systems can determine the distance, speed and angle of an object.

Millimeter waves refer to electromagnetic waves with wavelengths between 1 and 10 millimeters. They have the advantages of long detection range, multiple tracking targets, high accuracy, high data refresh rate, and are not affected by weather. Millimeter wave radar is suitable for moving target detection in complex ground environments, and can effectively detect human-machine perception capabilities in obstacle avoidance applications.

The current Autel drone EVO MAX 4T/4N uses binocular visual obstacle avoidance + millimeter wave radar obstacle avoidance technology, which can effectively ensure that the drone can avoid obstacles at 720° without being affected by the environment.

Special note: Autel MAX 4T’s millimeter wave radar sensor has two versions, one is a 24Ghz radar sensor and the other is a 60Ghz radar sensor.

Frequency	60GHz/24GHz* *Please fly safely and comply with your local laws and regulations to use 60GHz.
Sensing Range	60GHz Radar: Upward: 0.98-787.4in (0.3-20m) Downward: 5.9-3149.6in (0.15-80m) Forward and Backward: 0.98-98.43ft (0.3-50m) 24GHz Radar: Downward: 2.62-39.4ft (0.8-12m)
FOV	Horizontal (6dB): ±60°/±22° (24G/60G) Vertical (6dB): ±30°/±20° (24G/60G)
Operating Environment	The 60GHz millimeter-wave radar sensing system supports all-weather obstacle avoidance for glass, water, wires, buildings, and trees. Its obstacle avoidance distance varies with the obstacle's ability to reflect electromagnetic waves and its surface size. The 24Ghz millimeter-wave radar supports downward sensing, and its sensing range varies by the ground material. For example, the sensing range of cement ground is 12 meters, and the sensing range of grass with a thickness of more than 3cm is less than 6 meters.