Hi there,
I am requiring a small LIDAR module for autonomous outdoor navigation and am needing input on on the RP LIDAR A2’s long term outdoor hardiness and survivability.
My questions:
- Is it waterproof against moisture buildup and heavy rain? (I wont be submerging it, but heavy rain is a possibility)
- How does the casing and rotational hardware cope with long term sun exposure?
- Can I operate it continuously for over 2 years?
I know these are pretty obtuse questions to ask, but these are aspects I simply cant find the answer to after much searching.
Hi Sean,
Here are answers to your questions and comments:
The RPLidar A2 RB-Rpk-02] and A2M6 RB-Rpk-05] are both meant for indoor use only.
They have no protection from humidity, water or dust. Therefore, heavy rain is a sure no (and the humidity resulting from it).
We honestly have no idea, since it is not meant for outdoor use. That being said, I’d be more worried about the usability where direct sunlight is available, which is not recommend because it greatly reduces or completely prevent proper distance measurements.
The manufacturer currently offers a full year of warranty and according to their marketing information, the RB-Rpk-02/05 are meant for 24/7 data capture over long periods of time and should work for 5 years.
No problem! We are glad to provide the needed information.
There is a new version coming out soon, the RPLidar A3, which has a enhanced and outdoor mode. Therefore, it should perform better in outdoor situations. That being said, we are unsure if an IP rated version is planned for this model. We will have to wait a bit more for extra details to come out. Once available, you will be able to find it here.
As a possible alternative for outdoor use of high quality, you may be interested in the RB-Hok-06, which is the industrial-grade equivalent of the RP Lidar A2. Of course, on top of working well in full outdoor weather and direct sunlight (at most loses a few mm of accuracy under worse conditions according to manufacturer tests), it offers a longer range, faster scans, better accuracy and a small sealed package with low power use. It is also much more expensive, too… 
All that good engineering has a cost.
We hope this helps!
Sincerely,
Hi** Scharette,
**Thank you very much for such a quick and insightful response! 
I can certainly appreciate the price=robustness scenario, since my main obstacle in this project, which is for company R&D, are budget limitations.
The SICK MRS1000 products I had viewed are similar to the RB-HOK (which is pretty solid for the price!) you mention, and we have a local distributor which is quite handy, BUT the problem is the $4000 cost for any quality IP67 scanner. Since it’s a new division I’m limited to around $5000 for an operational prototype, so it would appear outdoor LIDAR is out of my reach (for now!).
The ease of use of LIDAR range-finders for navigation is a top contender, but it appears for budgetary purposes I’ll be using a camera array and delving into the land of image processing to challenge the LIDAR functionality. Thanks again for clearing up my unanswered questions, and I’ll be sure to keep an eye on the RP-A3 scanner for it’s final specs and availability!
Cheers
Hi,
Yes, the SICK products are indeed a good alternative.
Also, since budget is a major issue for you, a good alternative may be to simply get a IP67 range-finder sensor (RB-Ben-02 and RB-Pli-17, which is coming out in March) and then simply make you own water-resistant enclosure & rotational system for it.
We’ve seen some customers simply make a rotating mirror assembly (rough example of the idea) on top of a single-beam LIDAR and use an optical or magnetic encoding device to know the positions of readings.
You can get decent quality out of that and simply use an IR transparent plastic for the casing.
Other than that, VSLAM is certainly a viable solution (and definitely cheaper in terms of hardware!). It is hard to beat the cost of two cheap USB cameras and a RPi… 
That being said, the cost in time/development may got up slightly, depending on how well you know image processing.
Sincerely,
Hi,
Yes, the SICK products are indeed a good alternative.
Also, since budget is a major issue for you, a good alternative may be to simply get a IP67 range-finder sensor (RB-Ben-02 and RB-Pli-17, which is coming out in March) and then simply make you own water-resistant enclosure & rotational system for it.
We’ve seen some customers simply make a rotating mirror assembly (rough example of the idea) on top of a single-beam LIDAR and use an optical or magnetic encoding device to know the positions of readings.
You can get decent quality out of that and simply use an IR transparent plastic for the casing.
Other than that, VSLAM is certainly a viable solution (and definitely cheaper in terms of hardware!). It is hard to beat the cost of two cheap USB cameras and a RPi… That being said, the cost in time/development may got up slightly, depending on how well you know image processing.
Sincerely,
All that good engineering has a cost.
I can certainly appreciate the price=robustness scenario, since my main obstacle in this project, which is for company R&D, are budget limitations.
That being said, the cost in time/development may got up slightly, depending on how well you know image processing.