A California-based technology company has launched the world's first mass-produced native color light detection and ranging (lidar) sensor, which captures 3D spatial and color data simultaneously.

Until now, autonomous vehicles and robots have relied on separate sensors for each data stream. But the new devices, dubbed "Rev8," could lead to safety improvements, Ouster representatives say, as bots will be able to perceive the 3D and color information of their environment more quickly.