Slamtec

SLAMTEC – LiDAR Solutions for Robotics, Automation, and Autonomous Systems

SLAMTEC is a manufacturer of technologies used for localization, navigation, and environmental perception by robots and autonomous systems. One of the company's core business areas is two-dimensional LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) laser scanners, designed for applications such as mobile robotics, AGV/AMR, spatial mapping, navigation, localization, obstacle detection, and industrial monitoring.

SLAMTEC's offerings primarily encompass three product groups:

RPLIDAR A Series – cost-effective LiDARs using laser triangulation;
RPLIDAR C/S Series – more advanced sensors using time-of-flight technology;
LPX Series – devices designed for industrial applications.

RPLIDAR A1

The RPLIDAR A1 is SLAMTEC's entry-level laser scanner, designed primarily for home robots, educational projects, and cost-effective robotic systems. It offers full 360° scanning, a range of up to 12 m, and sampling rates of up to 8,000 measurements per second. Communication is via a UART interface.

RPLIDAR A2

The RPLIDAR A2 is a compact design, approximately 4 cm high, designed for service robots, among other applications. Depending on the version, it offers a range of up to 16 m, a sampling rate of up to 16 kHz, and an angular resolution of approximately 0.225°.

RPLIDAR A3

The RPLIDAR A3 is a more powerful member of the triangulation family. It offers measurements up to 25 m, a maximum of 16,000 samples per second, and 360° scanning. It can operate in Enhanced Mode, intended primarily for indoor applications, or in Outdoor Mode, providing greater daylight immunity.

RPLIDAR C1

The RPLIDAR C1 is a compact LiDAR using SL-dTOF (Direct Time of Flight) technology. It offers a range of up to 12 m for objects with 70% reflectivity, a minimum measurement range of approximately 5 cm, a sampling rate of 5 kHz, and full 360° scanning.

The manufacturer positions the C1 for applications including home, educational, and commercial robots, localization, mapping, navigation, and obstacle avoidance.

RPLIDAR S2

The S2 series is designed for more demanding applications utilizing dTOF measurement. All variants achieve approximately 32,000 samples per second and a typical angular resolution of approximately 0.1125°.

The manufacturer specifies, among other things, Variants:

S2L – up to approximately 18 m with high reflectivity,
S2 – up to approximately 30 m,
S2P – up to approximately 50 m,
S2E – up to approximately 30 m.

The series is designed for commercial robots, navigation, obstacle detection, and applications requiring greater range and environmental resistance.

RPLIDAR S3

The RPLIDAR S3 is currently one of the most efficient compact RPLIDAR LiDARs in SLAMTEC's portfolio. It offers:

a range of up to 40 m for objects with 70% reflectivity,
up to 15 m for objects with 10% reflectivity,
32 kHz sampling,
a typical angular resolution of 0.1125°,
360° scanning,
a measurement accuracy of approximately ±30 mm,
and an ambient light tolerance exceeding 80,000 lux.

This allows the S3 to be used both indoors and outdoors – for example, in mobile robots, AGVs, low-speed autonomous vehicles, space monitoring systems, and educational solutions.

LPX-T1

The LPX-T1 is an industrial LiDAR designed primarily for AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles), mobile robots, and automation systems.

It offers:

a range of up to 40 m,
sampling rates of up to 60,000 points per second,
a 270° field of view,
an angular resolution of approximately 0.12°,
accuracy of approximately ±30 mm,
illumination resistance of up to 80,000 lux,
an Ethernet interface,
a 9–28 V DC power supply,
an IP66-rated housing.

Network communication and an industrial-grade design distinguish the T1 from typical RPLIDAR devices using UART.

LPX-E3

The LPX-E3 is designed primarily for monitoring industrial areas. Unlike traditional LiDAR, which is used solely as a point cloud source, it can monitor predefined zones.

The series offers, among other things:

360° scanning,

range up to 40 m depending on the model and target reflectivity,

angular resolution up to approximately 0.1125°,
detection of objects with very low reflectivity,
illumination resistance up to approximately 80,000 lux,
configurability of up to 64 sets of monitoring zones.

The manufacturer lists the E3P1 and E3P2 variants.

Software Required for Working with SLAMTEC LiDARs

SLAMTEC devices are divided into three software levels:

1. Control and Data Reading – RPLIDAR SDK

The basic integration environment for RPLIDAR devices is the RPLIDAR SDK.

The SDK implements LiDAR communication, protocol handling, scanning data reception, diagnostic information, and device control.

The manufacturer provides the RPLIDAR SDK as an open source project. The SDK supports, among others:
Windows,
Linux,
macOS,
ARM/Linux systems.
Implementations on systems without a traditional operating system are also possible.

Therefore, using the proprietary SLAMTEC software is not required – your own application can communicate with the device via the device protocol or using a ready-made SDK.

2. ROS / ROS 2

SLAMTEC also provides integration packages for:
ROS 1 – Robot Operating System,
ROS 2.

ROS is a popular programming platform used for robot development. SLAMTEC packages enable the publication of LiDAR data as standard ROS laser scanner data, allowing it to be used by SLAM, localization, route planning, and obstacle avoidance systems.

The manufacturer notes that the ROS packages use the RPLIDAR SDK.

3. RoboStudio

SLAMTEC also provides RoboStudio, a diagnostic and development tool. The manufacturer's current support center lists version 2.1.1-rtm.

RoboStudio can be used for diagnostics and visualization of data from LiDAR and other SLAMTEC sensors, among other things. However, RoboStudio should not be considered a mandatory runtime environment for standard RPLIDAR integration – on the target device, this function is most often performed by an application using an SDK or ROS.

LPX-T1 – LPX SDK

The manufacturer provides a separate LPX SDK for the industrial LPX-T1, currently marked as version 2.0 in the support center.

The LPX-T1 communicates with the host system via Ethernet and can be integrated with proprietary software controlling robots, AGVs, or automation systems. The manufacturer also provides a development tool for LiDAR diagnostics.

LPX-E3 – ScanDesigner

The manufacturer provides a dedicated ScanDesigner software for configuring monitored areas for the LPX-E3.

The software allows users to define the shape and location of detection zones and configure the device. Once configured, the LPX-E3 can monitor zones and transmit appropriate signals without the need for an external computer for continuous data processing. Among other features, the manufacturer provides direct integration with PLC systems.