Gecko adds Ouster Rev8 lidar

Gecko Robotics is adding Ouster’s new Rev8 digital lidar sensors to the inspection systems that feed its Cantilever software platform, according to a May 21 announcement from Ouster. The companies said the upgrade is meant to improve 3D data capture for inspections of critical infrastructure, including boilers, tanks and aircraft, where Gecko already uses lidar to build digital models of assets. Ouster said Gecko is evaluating the new sensors as part of its next generation of inspection capabilities. Gecko said the added data could support asset-health monitoring and predictive maintenance workflows. ### Why is Gecko changing the sensor stack now? Ouster said on May 21 that Gecko already uses its lidar to navigate industrial sites and create digital twins of critical assets. The new Rev8 line gives Gecko access to what Ouster calls native color sensing alongside 3D spatial data, rather than relying only on geometry. Gecko’s Cantilever platform is marketed as a system for turning inspection data into a single operating picture across infrastructure fleets. On its website, Gecko says the platform is designed to support faster decisions on asset condition, maintenance and modernization. The Rev8 integration fits into that workflow by adding another layer of sensor data at collection. (finance.yahoo.com) ### What does Rev8 add that older lidar did not? Ouster introduced Rev8 on May 4 as a new OS family built on its L4 silicon. The company said the sensors provide native color lidar, up to double the range and resolution of the previous generation, and are designed for functional safety and reliability. (geckorobotics.com) Ouster’s product page says the Rev8 family spans configurations from wide-coverage sensors to long-range units reaching as far as 200 meters. The company also says the sensors were built for use in harsh environments and for applications requiring high-resolution perception. ### Where would Gecko use the added data? Gecko said the new lidar could help it collect richer 3D information in industrial inspections and improve the fidelity of the models used inside Cantilever. (investors.ouster.com) Ouster’s release said Gecko sees the sensor as a way to enhance “detect and repair” missions and add novel data layers to the platform. (ouster.com) Gecko works across defense, energy and manufacturing infrastructure. Its recent public statements have highlighted digital twin and inspection work in U.S. Navy manufacturing and fleet maintenance, where the company says AI and robotics can cut inspection times and improve maintenance planning. ### Why does color matter in an inspection robot? (finance.yahoo.com) Ouster said Rev8 fuses color and 3D data in silicon rather than combining them later in software. The company has described that as a way to simplify perception systems and give robots more detailed scene information from a single sensing stack. In Gecko’s use case, the companies linked that added perception to better asset-health analysis and stronger AI decision-making in the field. (geckorobotics.com) That framing came from the companies’ announcement, which presented the sensor upgrade as part of Gecko’s effort to improve inspection quality rather than as a separate product launch. (ouster.com) ### How does this fit into Ouster’s broader push? Ouster has spent May rolling out Rev8 integrations across robotics and autonomy platforms. On May 5, the company said it had added support for Rev8 across NVIDIA Jetson systems, and its investor relations page lists additional Rev8 announcements tied to automotive and robotics uses. (finance.yahoo.com) Gecko, for its part, has been expanding its infrastructure-inspection business. The Pittsburgh company said in June 2025 that it reached a $1.25 billion valuation in a Series D round, and in March 2026 it announced a five-year U.S. Navy contract with a ceiling of $71 million. Ouster’s annual shareholder meeting is scheduled for June 17, 2026, according to the company’s investor page. (geckorobotics.com) (investors.ouster.com)