OmniPreSense Unveils Short Range Radar Sensor for UAVs

OmniPreSense Corporation, a provider of Short-Range Radar (SRR) sensors, has announced its newest radar sensor with a smaller form factor and FCC modular approval. The OPS242 is 30% smaller than the previous OPS241 radar sensor, supporting space-constrained applications such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The OPS242 also provides FCC modular approval to simplify customer development and speed release to production. With a detection range of 10m for people and up to 25m for cars, the OPS242 is an ideal solution for traffic monitoring systems.

The OPS242 short-range radar detects motion, reporting speed and direction of objects in its field of view. With a top detection speed greater than 140mph, the OPS242 can handle the fastest of car traffic. A simple application programming interface (API) provides direct control of the OPS242, allowing changes to reported units (m/s, mph, etc.), transmitted power, and other useful settings.

New for the API is the reporting of multiple objects in the sensor’s field of view. As many as 9 different reports for speed and magnitude are available. Magnitude information consists of size, reflectivity, and distance information for the objects detected. This is most beneficial for traffic monitoring solutions. Multi-object detect is another feature that many previous solutions such as passive infrared (PIR) or ultrasonic sensors cannot provide.

Potential traffic monitoring applications for the sensor include radar speed signs, road traffic monitoring, and sidewalk foot traffic counting. “There’s an increasing trend to build Smart Cities and Smart Homes which the OPS242 supports,” stated Rob Frizzell, CEO and co-founder of OmniPreSense. “We’re pleased to provide such a simple, small form factor, and low-cost solution to making our cities smarter and safer.”