CONNECTING ASSEMBLY FOR A SENSOR POD
A connecting assembly for coupling a sensor pod to a vehicle. The connecting assembly includes an arm and a scanning lidar located within the arm.
1 . A connecting assembly for coupling a sensor pod to a vehicle, the connecting assembly comprising:
an arm; and
a scanning lidar located within the arm.
2 . The connecting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising one or more conduits located within the arm.
3 . The connecting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the scanning lidar is wholly located within the arm.
4 . The connecting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the scanning lidar is partially located within the arm.
5 . The connecting assembly of claim 1 , further comprising a heat sink having cooling fins.
6 . The connecting assembly of claim 5 , wherein the heat sink is a structural component of the arm.
7 . The connecting assembly of claim 5 , wherein the heat sink forms a lower surface of the arm.
8 . The connecting assembly of claim 7 , wherein the arm comprises a sensor pod arm and a bracket, and wherein the lower surface is a lower surface of the sensor pod arm, a lower surface of the bracket, or a combination thereof.
9 . The connecting assembly of claim 1 , the arm further comprising a sensor pod arm and a bracket.
10 . The connecting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the sensor pod arm is rotationally coupled to the bracket.
11 . The connecting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the scanning lidar is located entirely within the sensor pod arm.
12 . The connecting assembly of claim 9 , wherein the scanning lidar is located within the sensor pod arm and the bracket.
13 . The connecting assembly of claim 12 , wherein the scanning lidar is located entirely within the sensor pod arm and the bracket, such that a portion of the scanning lidar is located in the sensor pod arm and a portion of the scanning lidar is located in the bracket.
14 . The connecting assembly of claim 12 , wherein the scanning lidar is located partially within the sensor pod arm, partially within the bracket, and partially within the sensor pod.
15 . The connecting assembly of claim 1 , wherein a location of the scanning lidar defines a moment arm generated by the sensor pod housing on the connecting assembly.
16 . The connecting assembly of claim 1 , wherein the scanning lidar is the only sensor located in the connecting assembly.
17 . The connecting assembly of claim 16 , wherein no cameras, no radar, no other lidars, and no other sensors are located in the arm.
18 . A connecting assembly for coupling a sensor pod to a vehicle, the connecting assembly comprising:
an arm;
a scanning lidar located within the arm; and
a heat sink located within the arm.
19 . The connecting assembly of claim 18 , further comprising one or more conduits located within the arm.
20 . The connecting assembly of claim 18 , wherein the scanning lidar and the heat sink are wholly located within the arm.
21 . The connecting assembly of claim 18 , wherein the scanning lidar and the heat sink are partially located within the arm.
22 . The connecting assembly of claim 18 , wherein the heat sink forms a portion of a lower surface of the arm and comprises cooling fins extending from and below the lower surface.
23 . The connecting assembly of claim 22 , wherein the arm comprises a sensor pod arm and a bracket, and wherein the lower surface is a lower surface of the sensor pod arm, a lower surface of the bracket, or a combination thereof.
24 . The connecting assembly of claim 18 , the arm further comprising a sensor pod arm and a bracket.
25 . The connecting assembly of claim 24 , wherein the sensor pod arm is rotationally coupled to the bracket.
26 . The connecting assembly of claim 24 , wherein the scanning lidar and the heat sink are located entirely within the sensor pod arm.
27 . The connecting assembly of claim 24 , wherein the scanning lidar and the heat sink are located partially within the sensor pod arm, partially within the bracket, and partially within the sensor pod.
28 . The connecting assembly of claim 18 , wherein a location of the scanning lidar and the heat sink defines a moment arm generated by the sensor pod housing on the connecting assembly.
29 . The connecting assembly of claim 18 , wherein the scanning lidar is the only sensor located in the arm.