Bridger Photonics’ Aerial Lidar Technology Secures DOE Program Funding

The U.S. Department of Energy is awarding Bridger Photonics, a developer of ladar and lidar imaging products and technologies, $4.57 million from the department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy’s (ARPA-E) SCALEUP program. The award supports Bridger’s development and commercialization of lidar for aerial methane detection technology following an initial round of company funding in 2015.

Bridger has introduced its gas mapping lidar (GML) technology for the detection and quantification of methane leakage. The technology scans oil and gas infrastructure before delivering accurate leak magnitude assessments using an aerial platform, eliminating the need for conventional ground-crew site visits. Bridger itself processes and issues reports on all data collected from aerial assessments.

In expanding development and operations, the company will fully automate job planning, data processing, and management tools; enhance hardware designs with improved sensitivity and accuracy and scale manufacturing; advance its predictive algorithm capabilities; and integrate customer operations.

The Bridger award is part of a $24 million round of funding from the Department of Energy as part of the SCALEUP program. SCALEUP supports the scaling up and advancement of high-risk and potentially disruptive new technologies across the full spectrum of energy applications. It aims to help companies that have received a first wave of funding move toward their commercialization and development goals.