Although there are plenty of methods for effectively imaging a 3D space, LiDAR is widely regarded as one of the most effective methods. These systems use a rapid succession of laser pulses over a wide area to create an accurate 3D map. Early LiDAR systems were cumbersome and expensive but as the march of time continues on, these systems have become much more accessible to the average person. So much so that you can quickly attach one to a Raspberry Pi and perform LiDAR imaging for a very reasonable cost.

This software suite is a custom serial driver and scanning system for the Raspberry Pi, designed to work with LDRobot LiDAR modules like the LD06, LD19, and STL27L. Although still in active development, it offers an impressive set of features: real-time 2D visualizations, vertex color extraction, generation of 360-degree panoramic maps using fisheye camera images, and export capabilities for integration with other tools. The hardware setup includes a stepper motor for quick full-area scanning, and power options that include either a USB battery bank or a pair of 18650 lithium cells—making the system portable and self-contained during scans.

LiDAR systems are quickly becoming a dominant player for anything needing to map out or navigate a complex 3D space, from self-driving cars to small Arduino-powered robots. The capabilities a system like this brings are substantial for a reasonable cost, and we expect to see more LiDAR modules in other hardware as the technology matures further.

Thanks to [Dirk] for the tip!

From Blog – Hackaday via this RSS feed

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/28115109

cross-posted from: https://lazysoci.al/post/24083397

Raspberry Pi Holdings PLC (LSE:RPI) delivers its maiden full-year results as a listed company on Wednesday, 2 April.

In its last update, in January, the UK DIY-computing outfit said it was expecting demand to "build gradually" through the coming year with its market described as "challenging" currently but the medium-term outlook felt to be "extremely positive".

The company reported it had shipped 7 million units of its single-board computers and compute modules in 2024 and expects to report underlying profit (adjusted EBITDA) of at least $36 million.

Raspberry Pi had $45 million of cash at the end of December.

Ahead of the results, analysts at Jefferies tempered near-term expectations while flagging potential upside from edge AI – eventually.

...

Analysts said they felt lower unit volumes are hitting 2024 and 2025 numbers, but the long-term story – involving "edge AI" and DeepSeek’s low-cost inferencing models – is still intact.

The earnings outlook for 2025 will be in focus, and Jefferies is forecasting sales of $291 million and adjusted EBITDA of $42.4 million off the back of continued destocking, which they think makes 2025 more of a "transition year".

I have a Raspberry Pi Zero and I have attached it to the Waveshare 9.7" e-ink display. What I want to do is to make this a typing machine (I am aware of the screen refresh rate). The simplest version of this would be to run LibreOffice.

I can find several examples where this display is used with Python codes where the refresh rate can be set within an individual program (e.g., displaying calendar events or working as a clock). I have tested a couple of these projects, and they work. However, I would like to effectively use the display as a monitor.

How can this be achieved?

Is there a site to search packages for Raspberry OS, like Ubuntu's or Debian's?
The only site i can find is https://www.raspbian.org/RaspbianMirrors which is currently 502ing and may be outdated.

I'd like to search packages and get a list of mirrors.