Beyond the Beep:

From 1- to 3-D: A Leap in Perception

Traditional 1-D ultrasonic sensors measure the distance to a single point directly in front of the sensor. They’re cost-effective and work well for simple alerts – but they can’t detect object shape, orientation, or context.

3-D ultrasound changes that. It captures sound reflections across a wide field of view, generating a full volumetric map of the environment in real time. This enables accurate object localisation in three dimensions – distance, angle, and depth – and delivers a new level of spatial understanding.

Parking and ADAS: A Step-Change in Capability

Modern vehicles often rely on up to 12 ultrasonic parking sensors, each with a narrow detection cone and a range of around 5 meters. These traditional systems work well for simple parking alerts but fall short in complex environments and ADAS use cases.

Calyo’s 3-D ultrasound technology can achieve full 360° near-field coverage with just four sensors, one on each side (or at each corner) of the vehicle, producing thousands of scanning lines and detailed point clouds that extend up to 15 meters. This radically improves spatial resolution while reducing sensor count, system complexity, and integration effort.

Situational Awareness in Full 3-D

In real parking scenarios, obstacles are often irregular, low to the ground, or partially hidden. 1-D systems struggle to interpret these complexities.

Calyo Pulse generates LiDAR-like point clouds that enable precise detection of multiple objects at once, including curbs, poles, pedestrians, or adjacent vehicles – even in tight or cluttered environments.

Supporting L2/L2+ Autonomy

The transition to higher levels of autonomy requires sensors that are reliable, spatially rich, and unaffected by environmental factors.

 These capabilities make Calyo’s 3-D ultrasound technology ideal for supporting ADAS and L2+/L3 features such as automated parking, low-speed navigation, and autonomous last-mile delivery.

Validated in Real-World Conditions

Unlike radar and optical sensors (such as cameras or LiDAR), ultrasound remains unaffected by poor lighting and adverse weather. It performs reliably in rain, fog, dust, and other low-visibility conditions – making it a highly robust option for real-world parking environments.

Calyo has benchmarked its unique 3-D ultrasound sensors against both radar and LiDAR in controlled settings, including rain sheds and fog rooms, to validate performance in harsh conditions. These tests have provided valuable insight into the comparative strengths and limitations of different sensing technologies. (For the full review, see this link.)

Key Takeaways

Legacy ultrasonic sensors are no longer enough for today’s mobility challenges. Calyo Pulse offers a robust, scalable, and weather-resilient alternative – bridging the gap between low-cost parking sensors and high-end LiDAR.

With just four sensors, Calyo provides 360° near-field coverage, full 3-D perception, and real-time point cloud generation – empowering vehicles to park smarter, navigate more safely, and take a confident step toward Level 2/2+ autonomy and beyond.

Calyo enables vehicles to perceive – not just beep.

Applications Beyond Parking

While Calyo Pulse is a major step forward for intelligent parking and low-speed ADAS, its impact extends well beyond the car park.

Calyo’s 3-D ultrasound sensing technology is also ideally suited for:

• Valet automation & remote parking assist

• Urban delivery robots and last-mile vehicles

• Off-highway and construction vehicles in low-visibility environments

• Agricultural machinery operating in dust, rain, or dense vegetation

• Autonomous logistics (e.g. port movers, yard trucks, and depot robots)

Wherever reliable short-range perception is needed, especially in environments where cameras and LiDAR struggle, Calyo provides a robust, scalable solution.