Choosing TI mmWave radar for obstacle avoidance in a quadruped robot

Giammarco Casanova

Other Parts Discussed in Thread: IWR6843, IWRL6432, TDA4VM, IWR6843AOPEVM, IWR6843ISK-ODS, IWR6843ISK

Hello everyone,

I am working on a project to develop a quadrupedal fully autonomous robot. A crucial feature is its ability to effectively navigate in complex terrains and avoid obstacles. In order to achieve this, I plan on implementing a sensor fusion strategy adding radar to the already present 3D LiDAR and camera, exactly as shown on this video.

I am reaching out for recommendations on which TI mmWave radar product would best suit this application; the device should be compatible with embedded platforms like Raspberry Pis and Jetson Nano and reasonably low power (possibly below 15W).

Any insight would be highly valuable.

Thank you in advance for your assistance

over 1 year ago

0 Pedrhom Nafisi over 1 year ago

TI__Mastermind 23017 points

Hello,

The our current flagship product and the one with most Robotics support as of mid 2023 is the IWR6843. The maximum draw at max load with maximum sensitivity is around 1W per IWR6843. There is also IWRL6432, which is our low power low cost solution, but if you are looking for navigation of complex terrains from the Radar itself then the 6843 would be the best choice.

Best Regards,

Pedrhom

0 Giammarco Casanova over 1 year ago in reply to Pedrhom Nafisi

Prodigy 10 points

Perfect, which out of the several hardware packages for the IWR6843 radar is suitable for a direct off-the-shelf usage with a SBC like a Raspberry Pi 4?
Thank you

0 Pedrhom Nafisi over 1 year ago in reply to Giammarco Casanova

TI__Mastermind 23017 points

Hello,

We personally have done tests and have documentation with TI's TDA4VM and have direct support of this which you can find on TI Jacinto's Robotics SDK page https://software-dl.ti.com/jacinto7/esd/robotics-sdk/08_06_01/TDA4VM/docs/source/README.html.

This is the one we officially support, however do note that the ROS Driver for mmWave Radar is for Ubuntu systems. That means if the hardware has Ubuntu OS on it and USB connection for serial, in theory there should be no issue using it. More on the ROS Driver below.

https://dev.ti.com/tirex/explore/node?a=1AslXXD__1.20.00.11&node=A__AFIEVaaBoBCgo.VCtJenZQ__radar_toolbox__1AslXXD__1.20.00.11

Best Regards,

Pedrhom

0 Giammarco Casanova over 1 year ago in reply to Pedrhom Nafisi

Prodigy 10 points

Let me rephrase the question, I was specifically inquiring about what module is best suited for off-the-shelf use.
On my local TI reseller, DigiKey EU I see three models listed:

* IWR6843AOPEVM
* IWR6843ISK-ODS
* IWR6843ISK

There is little available about the differences between these three modules, besides they all have a IWR6843 radar onboard.

0 Pedrhom Nafisi over 1 year ago in reply to Giammarco Casanova

TI__Mastermind 23017 points

Hello,

My mistake I misunderstood. The difference between ISK and ISK-ODS is antenna pattern. Antenna orientation affects azimuth and elevation FOV, angular resolution, as well as range. The difference between ISKs and AOP is that AOP stands for Antenna on Package. The antenna is on the chip itself rather than on the EVM. This allows for more compact form factors, with the trade off of being forced to use that specific antenna pattern which is more than fine for anyone who is not planning on doing their own antenna design.

You can compare antennas on our mmWave EVMs here:

https://dev.ti.com/tirex/explore/node?a=1AslXXD__1.20.00.11&node=A__ACvJLhyw8rRPopsPFMtIWw__radar_toolbox__1AslXXD__1.20.00.11

Best Regards,

Pedrhom

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Choosing TI mmWave radar for obstacle avoidance in a quadruped robot