ussia unveils a new robot capable of seeing in complete darkness
A new industrial robot developed in Russia demonstrates the ability to perceive its environment with millimeter‑level precision even in complete darkness — without relying on costly rangefinders. The technology, created through a Russian–Chinese research effort, has already passed early testing and offers a fresh perspective on how machine vision can operate in complex industrial settings.
A New Principle of Machine Vision
Unlike most existing systems that rely on 2D LiDAR sensors costing hundreds of thousands of rubles (approximately thousands of U.S. dollars), the new Russian system is built on a fundamentally different approach. The robot uses multi‑projection, omnidirectional machine vision. Data is simultaneously captured by several panoramic cameras and enhanced by a beam of structured laser light. This combination enables the system to reconstruct the shape of surrounding objects and measure distances across a full 360‑degree working area with striking accuracy.
According to the developers, the core strength of the robot lies in its customization flexibility. Depending on the task, researchers can adjust the number of cameras, their placement, the optical characteristics, and laser parameters. Images from all cameras are processed on an external computing server, where a dedicated algorithm fuses them into a single spatial map and generates a detailed model of nearby obstacles.
Designed for Real Industrial Work
The development targets industrial environments — particularly sorting, navigation, and object‑handling operations on production lines that require high precision and reliable performance. Because the system does not use expensive sensors, its implementation cost is significantly lower, making advanced machine vision accessible to a broader range of manufacturing facilities.
The authors emphasize that this approach may become a powerful alternative to traditional machine‑vision systems, expanding the capabilities of robotic platforms operating under low‑visibility conditions or in harsh, cluttered industrial settings.
