A Low-Cost Laser Distance Sensor

Many indoor robotics systems use laser rangefinders as their primary sensor for mapping, localization, and obstacle avoidance. The cost and power of such systems is a major roadblock to the deployment of low-cost, efficient consumer robot platforms for home use. In this paper, we describe a compact, planar laser distance sensor (LDS) that has capabilities comparable to current laser scanners: 3 cm accuracy out to 6 m, 10 Hz acquisition, and 1 degree resolution over a full 360 degree scan. The build cost of this device, using COTS electronics and custom mechanical tooling, is under $30.