Orbbec Pulsar

Orbbec – LiDAR

Orbbec LiDAR is a family of laser ranging and spatial scanning sensors designed primarily for robotics, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous carts, navigation and localization systems, obstacle detection and avoidance, area monitoring, and environment mapping.

The devices utilize dToF (Direct Time of Flight) technology, where distance is determined based on the time of flight of a laser pulse from the sensor to the object and back. Depending on the model, Orbbec offers both classic single-plane 2D scanning and 3D spatial scanning.

Available Models

 
Orbbec Pulsar ME450

The Pulsar ME450 is the most advanced LiDAR currently offered by Orbbec. It is a 3D dToF LiDAR that utilizes a combination of a MEMS scanner responsible for vertical movement and a mechanical rotation system for the horizontal axis.

The most important feature of the ME450 is the ability to select different scanning modes – repeatable and non-repeatable – so that one sensor can be adapted to various tasks related to navigation, obstacle detection and spatial data acquisition.

Technology: dToF,
Type: 3D LiDAR,
Measurement range: 0.1–45 m at 90% reflectivity,
Range: up to 15 m at 10% reflectivity,
Horizontal field of view: 270°,
Vertical field of view: 60°, also configurable to 45° or 30°,
Measurement frequency: 200 kHz,
Horizontal scan speed: 10 / 15 / 20 Hz,
Accuracy: approximately ±30 mm,
Built-in IMU: 6-axis,
Synchronization: PTP, GPS, PPS,
Interface: Ethernet 100 Mb/s,
Laser wavelength: 905 ±10 nm,
Laser class: Class 1,
Ingress protection: IP67,
Ambient light resistance: over 80,000 lux. The ME450 is designed for applications such as automated guided vehicle (AMR), autonomous forklifts, logistics vehicles, mobile robots, mowing robots, and systems requiring three-dimensional perception of the environment.

Orbbec Pulsar SL450

The Pulsar SL450 is a cost-effective, single-plane 2D LiDAR sensor designed primarily for robot navigation.

The sensor utilizes dToF technology, a precise rotating mirror system, and a pulsed laser source. It provides 270° scanning of the surrounding area.

Technology: dToF,
Type: 2D single-line LiDAR,
Maximum range: 45 m at 90% reflectivity,
Range at 10% reflectivity: 15 m,
Horizontal scanning field: 270°,
Measurement frequency: 72 kHz,
Available angular resolutions: 0.075° / 0.1° / 0.125° / 0.15° / 0.2°,
Accuracy: ±20 mm at 90% reflectivity and ±25 mm at 10% reflectivity,
Wavelength: 903 ±10 nm,
Laser class: Class 1,
Light resistance: up to 60,000 lux,
Ingress protection: IP65,
Operating temperature: -10°C to +55°C.

Typical applications include:

AMRs in warehouses,
autonomous forklifts,
service robots,
localization and navigation,
obstacle detection,
area safety systems,
logistics, and automation.

Software Required for Operation
Orbbec SDK v2

For the current Pulsar ME450 and Pulsar SL450 family, the primary integration environment is Orbbec SDK v2.

The SDK – Software Development Kit, a set of libraries, APIs, drivers, and sample code – enables the application to communicate with the device, retrieve measurement data, and configure the sensor.

The current Orbbec documentation clearly lists:

Pulsar ME450,

Pulsar SL450

among the devices supported by Orbbec SDK v2. The manufacturer currently recommends SDK v2 for supported devices.

The SDK is available for:

Windows 10+,
Linux / Ubuntu,
macOS – depending on the specific device and functionality.

For robotic applications, integrations are also available for:

ROS 1,
ROS 2,
Python.

The Pulsar ME450 and SL450 are listed by the manufacturer as devices supported by the current Orbbec SDK v2 packages for ROS/ROS2.

Orbbec Viewer

The Orbbec Viewer is a graphical tool designed for viewing sensor data and configuring them.

For new LiDARs, Pulsar enables, among other things:

LiDAR data viewing,
point cloud visualization,
device operation verification,
parameter configuration,
sensor diagnostics.

The manufacturer explicitly states that the Pulsar ME450 is supported by the Orbbec SDK ecosystem and the Orbbec Viewer, which provides viewing and configuration features specific to LiDAR.

However, the Orbbec Viewer is not a mandatory runtime program. After integrating LiDAR with the target application, the device can operate without running the Viewer.

ROS / ROS 2

For robotics, Orbbec provides integration packages with:

ROS 1,

ROS 2.

ROS – Robot Operating System is a programming platform widely used in robotics. It allows the use of LiDAR data in applications such as:

SLAM,
robot localization,
mapping,
route planning,
obstacle avoidance,
autonomous navigation.

The manufacturer officially declares an open SDK for the Pulsar SL450, supporting ROS1/ROS2 and Windows/Linux environments.

MS200k – Dedicated SDK

The older MS200k has its own software suite provided by Orbbec:

MS200k SDK Package,
MS200k Viewer,
ROS package.

Please do not assume that the MS200k uses the same current Orbbec SDK v2 as the Pulsar ME450 and SL450 - the manufacturer maintains a separate SDK and software section for it, and the model is not on the current list of devices supported by Orbbec SDK v2.