RPLIDAR A1M8 - 360 Degree Laser Scanner Development Kit

RPLIDAR A1M8 - 360 Degree Laser Scanner Development Kit: a high-precision 360° 2D laser scanner

The RPLIDAR A1M8 laser scanner is a 360° rotary 2D LiDAR system capable of measuring distances up to 12 metres. Based on laser triangulation technology, it provides distance and angle data for detected objects, making it suitable for mapping, localisation and autonomous navigation applications.

The RPLIDAR A1M8 works effectively in indoor environments and outdoor environments without direct sunlight exposure. Its rotating core performs continuous 360° omnidirectional laser scanning in a clockwise direction, generating 2D point cloud data that can be used to represent the surrounding environment.

Compact and cost-effective, the RPLIDAR A1M8 uses a low-power infrared laser with a maximum peak power of 5 mW. It offers a high sampling frequency of at least 8000 Hz and a configurable scan rate of up to 10 Hz. It is therefore well suited for surveillance, mapping, obstacle avoidance, autonomous navigation and robotic localisation projects.

A 360° A1M8 laser scanner: what for?

Compact and economical, this 2D laser scanner can be fitted on a mobile robot already equipped with autonomous navigation solutions (IMU, sensors, etc.). It can be used on research robots, service robots, educational robots or SLAM development platforms.

The RPLIDAR A1M8 can also be integrated into a detection, surveillance or 2D mapping system. It is suitable for autonomous navigation, obstacle avoidance, environment modelling and real-time localisation applications.

Technical specifications of the RPLIDAR A1M8 scanner

• Type: 360° rotary 2D laser scanner
• Measurement technology: laser triangulation
• Use: indoor and outdoor environments without direct sunlight exposure
• Measurement range: 0.15 to 12 m, on white objects
• Angular field of view: 0 to 360°
• Scan field flatness: -1.5° to 1.5°
• Distance resolution: <0.5 mm at less than 1.5 m; <1% of the distance over the full range
• Angular resolution: ≤1° at a 5.5 Hz scan rate
• Sample duration: 0.125 ms
• Sampling frequency: ≥8000 Hz
• Scan rate: 1 to 10 Hz, 5.5 Hz typical
• Laser wavelength: 775 to 795 nm, 785 nm typical, infrared light band
• Pulse length: 110 µs typical, up to 300 µs
• Peak laser power:
  • Maximum: 5 mW
  • Typical value: 3 mW
• Communication interface: 3.3V TTL UART serial port
• Weight: approximately 170 g
• Operating temperature: 0 to 40°C

Resources for the RPLIDAR A1M8 scanner

Find below the useful resources to install, test and integrate your RPLIDAR A1M8 scanner into your robotics projects.

• Official ROS packages for A-series RPLIDAR
• RPLIDAR A1M8 - 360° Laser Scanner datasheet