Basler Stereo mini — Compact Industrial 3D Stereo Camera for AMRs

Specifications

Overview

The Basler Stereo mini is a compact, lightweight and rugged industrial-grade 3D stereo vision camera built for cost-sensitive embedded and mobile robot applications. Two synchronised image sensors capture the same scene from slightly different perspectives; the resulting disparity is converted into a depth map and a 3D point cloud, giving robots metric spatial awareness without the cost of a laser scanner or a time-of-flight sensor.

The product line is split by interface rather than by performance. USB models (STM-501u, STM-502u, STM-951u, STM-952u) use a single USB Type-C connector for power and data and are the fastest path to a prototype on a host PC or edge box. GigE models (STM-951g, STM-955g) add 1 Gbit/s transmission, PoE power and cable runs up to 100 m, plus PTP timing, multi-camera synchronisation and RS485 for factory-floor integration. GMSL2 versions deliver low-latency coax links up to 15 m into NVIDIA Jetson Orin-based embedded hosts.

Depth quality depends on scene structure. Where natural texture is rich, calibrated passive stereo is sufficient; on featureless surfaces the camera can project additional texture to stabilise the depth estimate. Because the geometry is factory-calibrated, the same camera can be swapped in the field without recalibrating the application. Integration is through the Basler pylon SDK, which is already standard in many machine vision pipelines.

Basler also partners with Orbbec on broader industrial 3D vision for logistics and factory automation, and with Advantech on GMSL-based vision and robotics platforms, so the Stereo mini fits into an established ecosystem of companion cameras, controllers and Jetson-based AI systems.

Key Benefits

Smallest-in-class form factor at 90 x 25 x 30 mm and 97 g, so it mounts on robotic arms, AGV corners and compact AMR platforms. Three interfaces from one platform — USB 3.0 for development, GigE with PoE and 100 m reach for fixed cells, GMSL2 with 15 m coax for embedded Jetson payloads. Rugged where it matters with IP5x, IP65 and IP67 options and industrial-grade certification. Low integration cost through the pylon SDK and GenTL, with factory-calibrated geometry that removes in-field recalibration. Volumetric perception at an entry price of EUR 249, making stereo depth viable in cost-sensitive designs. Multi-camera synchronisation and IMU support for 360° coverage and visual-inertial navigation.

Applications

Autonomous mobile robots and AGVs — obstacle detection, collision avoidance and free-space identification. Warehouse logistics — pallet and load carrier detection, relative positioning during approach, fill level and completeness checks. Bin picking and depalletisation — close-range grasp assistance and hand-eye coordination. Dimensioning and verification — measurement of misaligned or deformed contents. Intralogistics and conveyors — volumetric profiling of goods in motion. Edge AI vision systems on NVIDIA Jetson Orin, paired with Basler GMSL vision system components.

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