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German automotive supplier Continental is investing in US startup AEye, which specializes in lidar sensor technology. Continental is acquiring a minority stake in the lidar pioneer, the companies announced Tuesday. Partners did not provide information on financial details. AEye would like to bring its technology to series maturity with the help of Continental. The German manufacturer, on the other hand, is adding the technology to its lidar portfolio.
“Continental is a recognized player in automotive sensor technology as well as in the industrialization and market introduction of vehicle components,” said Blair LaCorte, CEO of AEye. “We therefore look forward to working closely with the team to adapt our modular and scalable design to customer needs so that Continental can provide high performance long range LiDAR systems to major vehicle manufacturers around the world. “.
Lidar for autonomous cars
Lidar sensors are an essential component for driver assistants and autonomous vehicles. AEye’s technology has no moving parts and still provides “high dynamic spatial resolution”. AEye uses solid state lidar which can be adjusted by software so that the laser covers different distances. The technology combines a 1550nm laser with adjustable power with a patented microelectromechanical system such as a scanner.
The method developed by AEye for object recognition in the long range up to over 300 meters is intended to complement Continental’s 3D lidar flash designed for close range. “This puts us in an excellent position to cover the entire vehicle environment with state-of-the-art LiDAR sensor technology and to implement automated driving at SAE level 3 or higher in both passenger car and truck applications,” said Frank Petznick, head of the Driver Assistance Systems business unit at Continental.
Serial production at the end of the year
Continental first presented the 3D lidar flash at CES 2017. The short-range sensor has no moving parts and is capable of scanning different distances with a special receiver chip. According to Continental, the new sensor will go into series production at a well-known vehicle manufacturer “later this year”.
(vbr)
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