• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to secondary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Your Membership
    • Edit Your Profile
  • Services
    • Advertising
    • Case studies
    • Design
    • Email marketing
    • Lead generation
    • Magazine
    • Press releases
    • Publishing
    • Sponsored posts
    • Webcasting
    • Webinars
    • White papers
    • Writing
  • Shop
    • My Account
    • Cart
  • About
    • Contact
    • Privacy
    • Terms of use
  • Events

Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

  • News
  • Features
  • Video
  • Webinars
  • White papers
  • Press releases
  • Featured companies
    • BlueBotics
    • SICK Sensor Intelligence
    • Vicor Power

Apple’s new iPad Pro sports LiDAR and new chip

June 17, 2020 by Sam Francis Leave a Comment

Apple’s latest version of its iPad Pro tablet computer integrates technology more commonly found in robots and autonomous cars – LiDAR. 

LiDAR, short for Light Detection and Ranging, refers to a type of sensor which gives the device information about objects around it and the distance to them.

Apple says it decided to put LiDAR in the new iPad Pro to give the camera in the device a greater sense of depth.

In a press release, Apple says the new iPad Pro adds an Ultra Wide camera, studio-quality mics and a “breakthrough” LiDAR Scanner all designed to deliver “cutting-edge depth-sensing capabilities”, opening up more pro workflows and supporting pro photo and video apps.

Apple says the LiDAR Scanner enables capabilities “never before possible on any mobile device”. The LiDAR Scanner measures the distance to surrounding objects up to five meters away, works both indoors and outdoors, and operates “at the photon level at nano-second speeds”.

Later this year, Shapr3D, a professional CAD system based on Siemens Parasolid technology, will use the LiDAR Scanner to automatically generate an accurate 2D floor plan and 3D model of a room which can then be used as the basis to design remodels or room additions like a bathroom or closet. New designs can then be previewed in real-world scale using AR right in the room scanned.

New depth frameworks in iPadOS combine depth points measured by the LiDAR Scanner, data from both cameras and motion sensors, and is enhanced by computer vision algorithms on Apple’s new A12Z Bionic for a more detailed understanding of a scene.

Apple says the tight integration of these elements enables a whole new class of augmented reality experiences on iPad Pro.

Apple consistently uses advanced technologies in its devices which it often designs and develops itself, and this is the first time it is using LiDAR.

It’s not immediately clear from media reports who is supplying the underlying LiDAR technology, but it looks like Apple has used different components from different suppliers – including Sony, Texas Instruments, Himax and Lumentum – and manufactured its own “LiDAR Scanner”, as it calls it. (More details on EE Times and i-MicroNews.com.)

Reuters reported last year that Apple considers the technology to be a very important component for its devices.

One of those devices was, at the time, thought to be a driverless car, which Apple has been rumoured to be developing for some time, under the project title Titan.

However, not much more information has emerged about the fabled Apple car.

By integrating the LiDAR Scanner, pro cameras, motion sensors, pro performance, pro audio, the Liquid Retina display and “powerful apps”, Apple says it has extended the lead of iPad Pro as “the world’s best device for augmented reality”.

Augmented reality is another of Apple’s priorities, but it requires vast computing resources, both on the device and in the cloud.

Apple’s cloud infrastructure is probably not as extensive and as powerful as that of rivals such as Google or Amazon, but it is said to be working on it.

However, Apple has been investing heavily in developing its own microprocessors, perhaps preferring to try and keep data processing “on the edge”, as they call it, or on the device as much as possible.

The new iPad Pro is built on Apple’s new “A12Z Bionic chip”, a microprocessor specially designed for artificial intelligence.

Apple says the A12Z Bionic chip is “built for the most demanding tasks”, such as AR, editing 4K video, or designing 3D models.

The company claims that the available computing power in the new iPad Pro make it “more powerful than most Windows PC laptops”.

The eight-core GPU in the A12Z Bionic, along with an enhanced thermal architecture and tuned performance controllers, gives iPad Pro the highest performance ever in an iPad.

Combined with the eight-core CPU and the powerful Neural Engine, which enables next-generation apps, Apple boasts that “there’s no other chip that can offer the incredible performance found in the thin and light design of iPad Pro”.

With longer battery life lasting up to 10 hours, faster Wi-Fi connectivity and gigabit-class LTE, Apple says the new iPad Pro is 60 percent faster, and has support for more LTE bands than any other tablet.

Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing, says: “The new iPad Pro introduces advanced technologies never before available in mobile computing.

“Combining the most advanced mobile display with powerful performance, pro cameras, pro audio, the breakthrough LiDAR Scanner and new Magic Keyboard with Trackpad, this is another huge leap forward for iPad.

“There’s no other device in the world like the new iPad Pro and we think our customers are going to love it.”

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, says: “We’re making iPad even more capable and versatile by bringing trackpad support to iPadOS.

“We carefully considered the best way to integrate trackpad use into a touch-first environment while retaining everything our customers know and love about iPad. We’re thrilled to bring this new way of interacting with iPad to the millions of people using iPadOS today.”

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Share this:

  • Print
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Twitter
  • Tumblr
  • Pinterest
  • Skype
  • WhatsApp
  • Telegram
  • Pocket

You might also like…

Filed Under: Computing, Features Tagged With: apple, device, ipad, lidar, pro, scanner

Join the Robotics & Automation News community

Reader Interactions

You must log in to post a comment.

Primary Sidebar

Latest articles

  • How robots and RPA will change the business of the future
  • The Pros and Cons of Selling vs Trading in Your Vehicle
  • How to Ensure Your Drivers Stay Safe on the Road
  • Reasons Why You Need to Buy a Rotary Fill and Seal Coffee Packaging Machine
  • Fulfyld selects inVia Robotics to automate warehouses
  • DB Schenker to operate zero-emission autonomous ship for Ekornes
  • Southie Autonomy secures $2.5 million seed funding and $5 million in robot lease financing
  • Daimler Truck makes strategic investment in Apex.AI
  • Berkshire Grey launches new mobile robotic platform
  • Clearpath Robotics launches latest version of TurtleBot

Most Read

  • Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
    Top 20 electric vehicle charging station companies
  • Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
    Difference Between Three-Phase and Single-Phase Power
  • Track your lost Android
    Track your lost Android
  • Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
    Top 20 programmable logic controller manufacturers
  • Top 25 vertical farming companies
    Top 25 vertical farming companies
  • The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
    The Best Mechanical Engineering Design Software in 2022
  • Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?
    Wood that’s twice as expensive as gold? Really?
  • Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
    Top 10 graphics processing unit manufacturers: Nvidia clearly in the lead
  • Industrial robot costs to drop by half in the next three years
    Industrial robot costs to drop by half in the next three years
  • What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire
    What You Need to Know About Fixing an Engine Misfire

Overused words

abb ai applications automated automation automotive autonomous business china companies company control customers data design development digital electric global industrial industry logistics machine manufacturing market mobile platform process production robot robotic robotics robots safety software solution solutions system systems technologies technology time vehicle vehicles warehouse

Secondary Sidebar

Latest news

  • How robots and RPA will change the business of the future
  • The Pros and Cons of Selling vs Trading in Your Vehicle
  • How to Ensure Your Drivers Stay Safe on the Road
  • Reasons Why You Need to Buy a Rotary Fill and Seal Coffee Packaging Machine
  • Fulfyld selects inVia Robotics to automate warehouses
  • DB Schenker to operate zero-emission autonomous ship for Ekornes
  • Southie Autonomy secures $2.5 million seed funding and $5 million in robot lease financing
  • Daimler Truck makes strategic investment in Apex.AI
  • Berkshire Grey launches new mobile robotic platform
  • Clearpath Robotics launches latest version of TurtleBot

Footer

We are…

Robotics and Automation News was established in May, 2015, and is now one of the most widely-read websites in its category.

Please consider supporting us by becoming a paying subscriber, or through advertising and sponsorships, or by purchasing products and services through our shop – or a combination of all of the above.

Thank you.

Independent

Archivists

June 2020
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
2930  
« May   Jul »

Complex

Old-skool

This website and its associated magazine, and weekly newsletter, are all produced by a small team of experienced journalists and media professionals.

If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to contact us at any of the email addresses on our contact page.

We’d be happy to hear from you, and will always reply as soon as possible.

Future-facing

Free, fair and legal

We support the principles of net neutrality and equal opportunities.

Member of The Internet Defense League

Copyright © 2022 · News Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT