[ NODAR HDK+RD ]
HDK + Reference Design
Develop autonomous and 3D monitoring applications using the Hammerhead HDK + Reference Design.
System Overview
NODAR’s HDK + Reference Design provides perception engineers access to Hammerhead's breakthrough ultra-wide baseline stereo 3D vision system.
Supporting long-range 3D perception (up to >1,000m) with millions of pixels as well as providing cm-level depth precision, NODAR Hammerhead can be used in a wide range of applications ranging from automotive ADAS to fully self-driving commercial vehicles, agriculture, UAVs, rail, construction vehicles, indoor robotics, and more.
NODAR Hammerhead is available either as a fully assembled development kit or as a licensable hardware reference design for integration into your own product platform.
Step 1
Evaluate with the Development Kit
Designed for rapid technical evaluation, the HDK arrives ready to deploy in minutes and produce high-resolution point clouds out of the box.
The development kit includes:
Hammerhead stereo depth engine
GridDetect 3D object detection module
Visualization software and data logging tools
API access for real-time data capture
Complete hardware stack (cameras, optics, mount, compute module, cabling)
This configuration is optimized for fast integration testing and proof-of-concept development.
Step 2
Integrate with the Reference Design
For teams moving toward production, the HDK Reference design is available for licensing and seamless integration into your own product ecosystem.
Each reference design includes a comprehensive technical package:
CAD Models – Native SolidWorks files for direct modification
Manufacturing Documentation – Detailed assembly drawings and instructional manufacturing videos
Full Bill of Materials (BOM) – Hardware, optics, cables, and compute components
Cloud infrastructure template for upgrading software, payment, licensing, and sales tools
The included Reference Design Licensing grants a non-exclusive, worldwide, perpetual right to modify and deploy the design within your own hardware products.
Discover your best approach
Whether you're evaluating stereo perception performance or planning production integration, our team can help you determine the optimal configuration for your technical and commercial objectives. Share your application requirements, deployment timeline, and performance targets, and we will work with you to define the most effective path forward.
Developer Resources
All the resources, tools, and support needed to integrate our cutting-edge stereo vision technology into your application. Whether you’re building autonomous systems or innovative imaging products, we’re here to help you create the future.
Applications
Trucks
Ultra long-range, small object detection - detect a 25cm object at 305m to allow for time to stop or avoid.
Passenger Cars
Precise long-range object detection for L3 and above.
Air Mobility
Long-range detection in any direction improves safety.
Heavy Equipment
Resilience to dust and high-vibration, and best-in-class performance in low visibility.
Ferry
Robustness with moving horizon and ultra-fine precision at short distances for docking.
Rail
1000m+ range obstruction detection for collision avoidance and mapping.
Last Mile Delivery
Low-cost, flexible camera mounting, low compute and fine precision - perfect for mobile robots.
Robotaxi
Sensor fusion with lidar provides redundancy while enabling safe highway driving.
Agriculture
Resilience to dust and vibration for autonomous operation, and precision for spout alignment.
Hammerhead Benefits
NODAR Hammerhead delivers unparalleled accuracy and reliability, even in challenging environments like dust, low light, rain, and fog. Leveraging patented auto-calibration technology and off-the-shelf cameras, the system provides consistent, high-resolution depth data with minimal setup, ensuring rugged, cost-effective performance for variety of applications.
Accuracy and Range
High accuracy by computing the true depth of every pixel based on stereoscopic parallax rather than crudely interpolating from known objects.
Low Visibility Performance
High performance in difficult conditions such as high-dust, low-light, rain, fog, and direct sunlight.
Consistency of Results
Patented auto-calibration technology actively compensates for camera perturbations due to wind, road shock, vibration, and temperature.
Ruggedness and Reliability
High longer-term reliability due to no moving parts. Robust against manufacturing variations and wear-and-tear, tolerating angle changes up to +/- 3 degrees.
Easy Installation
Easy installation and integration, mounted via tripod mounting holes. Multiple compute and software integration options.
Value
Hammerhead leverages off-the-shelf cameras for minimal hardware cost requirements. Processing for stereo calibration can be performed either on a dedicated ECU or shared with an existing ECU.
HDK 2.0 Hardware Reference
Camera support
Ships with 5MP HDR (also supported: 8MP, 12MP, LWIR, Global Shutter)
Lenses
6mm/70° FOV or 16mm/30° FOV ¹, both f/1.6 and f/2
Processor
NVIDIA Orin Jetson ²
Specifications
Calibration
Continuous (every frame)
Baseline
Tested up to 5m
Frame rate
Up to 30 FPS
Max capacity
50 million pixels/second
depth precision
0.2-0.4% @ 100m
Maximum range
Tested to 1,000m
Precision
Able to detect 10cm object at 150m
Camera alignment tolerance
+/-3°
Stereo matching algorithm
Deterministic signal processing algorithm
Vibration tolerance
0.1° per frame
1. Other lenses and cameras can be supported
2. Software-only technology enables porting to other processors