Velodyne Gives Sight to Urban Challenge Teams
Morgan Hill, CA (October 27, 2007) - Velodyne today announced that its HDL-64E High Definition Lidar sensor will be
used in the National Qualification Event (NQE) for the DARPA Urban Challenge by 12 semi-finalist teams. Having
competed as Team DAD (Digital Auto Drive) in the first Grand Challenge held in 2004, the founders of Velodyne,
Bruce and Dave Hall, decided to commercialize the lidar sensor they developed for that race and make it available
to teams competing in the current Urban Challenge.
Of the 36 semi-finalist teams competing in the NQE October 26-31 in Victorville, CA, 12 are using the Velodyne
HDL-64E including Stanford Racing Team, MIT, Tartan Racing (Carnegie Mellon), Golem Group, Team AnnieWay, Team
Cornell, Austin Robot Technology, Team Gray, Ben Franklin Racing Team, Intelligent Vehicle Systems, Team Berlin,
and Team Urbanator. The top 20 teams from the NQE will move on to the Urban Challenge final event on November 3.
The Velodyne HDL-64E lidar sensor takes terrain map construction to a new level. The unit employs 64 lasers, each
fixed at a specific height across a 26-degree vertical spread. The entire unit spins, with each laser firing
thousands of times per revolution, giving a 360-degree horizontal field of view. The HDL-64E generates one million
distance points per second - exponentially more than conventional lidar sensors – providing for a point cloud that
is much richer than previously possible. The HDL-64E has become the only sensor needed for many Urban Challenge
teams for obstacle detection/avoidance as well as navigation.
"The HDL-64E is becoming the sensor of choice for our customers," said Bruce Hall, President of Velodyne. "While
every team we work with started with multiple sensors, most report that the HDL-64E has enabled them to use fewer
sensors and some tell us that the Velodyne is the only sensor they are using. Even though we'll miss the thrill
of competing in the event, we are pleased and honored to be an integral part of the top teams' autonomous
platforms," he continued.
The DARPA Urban Challenge is the third in a series of competitions DARPA has held to foster the development of
autonomous robotic ground vehicle technology to save lives on the battlefield. Safe operation in traffic is
essential to U.S. military plans to use autonomous ground vehicles to conduct important missions. DARPA will
award cash prizes to the top three finishers that complete the course within the six-hour time limit.
About Velodyne
Velodyne, founded in 1983, is a leading manufacturer of high definition lidar sensors. Headquartered in Morgan
Hill, California, the company's HDL-64E sensor is used in a variety of military and commercial autonomous vehicle
applications as well as 3-D mapping, surveying and other applications. For more information visit www.velodyne.com/lidar.
About DARPA
DARPA is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense (DoD). The Agency
manages and directs basic and applied research and development projects for DoD and pursues research and
technology that provide dramatic advances in support of military missions.
Velodyne Contact:
Ann Gargiulo, 408-465-2817
agargiulo@velodyne.com