n TECHNOLOGY September 2026 www.drivesncontrols.com 20 DATASENSING – DATALOGIC’S SENSOR, safety and machine vision business – has announced a safety laser scanner with a 10m range and a 70mm detection capability across a 275-degree scanning angle – claimed to be the first in the world to achieve this distance. The SLS10 scanner provides 240m2 of safety coverage – the largest area on the market – allowing users to see further and protect more. The scanner also delivers ultra-fast response times, and a “best-in-class” angular resolution of up to 0.059 degrees. (Angular resolution defines the minimum distance between consecutive laser measurement points.) These characteristics allow the scanner to protect larger workspaces, longer production lines, and bigger machines, with fewer devices. Instead of deploying multiple scanners to achieve full coverage, users can install a single SLS10, cutting hardware costs, shortening commissioning times and reducing maintenance requirements. The scanner offers a choice of detection capabilities for different applications. As well as its 10m safety range for 70mm detection, it also offers a 5m range for 30mm detection, 5.5m for 40mm, 7.5m for 50mm, and 8.75m for 60mm. This flexibility makes the scanner suitable for applications such as palletising systems, robotic cells, laser cutting machines and woodworking machinery. Beyond safeguarding, the SLS10’s angular resolution is also useful in navigation applications, especially for high-payload AGVs/AMRs and automated forklifts. The scanner has a 84ms response time – said to be best-in-class for safety distances above 9m – allowing installation closer to hazardous areas, while maintaining compliance. The result is smaller machine footprints, more flexible designs, and improved productivity. The SLS10 complies with SIL 2 and PL d. Its good immunity to dust helps to reduce false triggering, avoiding unnecessary and costly machine shutdowns. Datasensing has also redesigned its DL Sentinel user interface, improving set-up and operation. Users can configure safety zones more easily, monitor master and remote devices simultaneously, and use a new technology that chooses the best balance between safety distance, response time, and environmental conditions automatically. Benefits are claimed to include faster commissioning, and improved stock flexibility, allowing previous scanners to be replaced without performance suffering. Some models also include positional zone set switching by encoder – a patent-pending capability that allows automatic zone changes without additional sensors. www.datasensing.com ‘World’s first’ 10m-range laser scanner protects larger areas with a higher resolution A NORWEGIAN SPECIALIST in ultrasonic 3D sensing has developed what it claims is the world's first safety-certified 3D ultrasonic sensor for human-robot collaboration. Sonair’s Adar One sensor can detect people and obstacles at any height, eliminating the limitations and blind spots that characterise existing 2D sensors. It is suitable for SIL2 and PL d applications and is certified to comply with the European Machine Directive for the safe detection of humans and objects. Traditional 2D laser scanners, which are widely used to define safety perimeters for mobile robotic systems, are unable to detect people and obstacles above or below a single plane. “The bottleneck to safe human-robot coexistence isn't intelligence or speed,” explains Sonair’s CEO, Knut Sandven. “It's safe perception – knowing reliably under any condition, that a human is nearby. This milestone certification is the first time a 3D sensor has been independently verified to meet that bar using sound instead of light – a new modality that complements cameras where they fall short. “Adar One does not merely replace a sensor,” he adds. “It introduces a new safety layer for robotics – a certified 3D perceptual foundation that sits beneath any camera, AI stack, or motion system, independently verifying that the space around a robot is safe.” The Adar (acoustic detection and ranging) sensors, designed for industrial automation and AMR (autonomous mobile robot) applications, provide 180°×180° 3D spatial awareness, and can detect people and obstacles at any height. They are said to be easy to integrate, with a tiny footprint that allows them to be embedded flush into almost any robot, including humanoids. The sensors are aimed primarily at: n Autonomous robot OEMs Currently, 2D LiDAR systems dominate safety applications for autonomous robots, but at a high cost and complexity. With the new sensor, robot manufacturers can add certified 3D safety, rapidly and at a lower cost. n Systems integrators They can use the plug-and-play sensors in AMRs (autonomous mobile robots), AGVs (automated guided vehicles) and collaborative robots without special exemptions. n Humanoid OEMs The new sensor’s compact size means it can be embedded into a humanoid’s body without significant redesigning the underlying structure. It provides certified perception that no camera-and-AI stack currently offers, in full 3D. n End-users Warehouse and logistics providers can improve productivity, increase uptime and reduce incidents, by deploying robots that use the sensors in certified safety architectures recognised by insurance and liability organisations. Since beta versions of the sensor were released last year, more than 80 robotics companies around the world have been evaluating the technology, and it is now shipping on some industrial robots. www.sonair.com 3D sensor ends safety bottlenecks for robots and automation Datasensing’s 10m-range laser scanner allows users to see further and protect more
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