Greetings all. We are looking to integrate a Lightware SF40/c 360 lidar rangefinder on a large multirotor. We want to use this for obstacle avoidance. I assume you want to mount this as high as possible on the chassis, but we will have some features of the rover that may extend up into the range of the scan such as GPS masts and strobe lights. We have not mounted or tested the SF40/c yet, but just are curious if I should mount it on a pole higher than everything else, or if it OK to have a few items onboard that may in the way when the scanner is in use.
According to the ardupilot docs: “The SF40c should be mounted on the top or bottom of the vehicle so that the rotating portion scans horizontally and its view is not obstructed by any portion of the vehicle including GPS mast, vehicle legs etc. The round gold and black lightware logo should be facing forward.”
Just wondering if this is a 100% rule or if a couple static obstructions will cause problems. Thanks for your help.