Excelitas Technologies Corp. is a global technology leader delivering innovative and customized photonic solutions. For decades, the company has been actively engaged in the development of pulsed lasers and fast detectors for Industrial LiDAR applications. LEDinside / TrendForce had the honor to have an interview with Dr. Jürgen Schilz, Vice President Detection / Managing Director of Excelitas, to share his extensive industry experience in photonics, and gain valuable insight into the LiDAR market and Excelitas’ current progress in LiDAR Laser tech...

Laser Components, a company providing comprehensive optoelectronics product lines, including Pulsed Laser Diodes, VCSELs, Si-APD-Array, and CMOS SPAD, for next generation LiDAR, announced cutting-edge advancements and achievements that are moving the sensors industry forward. In response to Automotive LiDAR and Rangefinder market demand, Laser Components has consistently expanded the capacity and successfully developed novel technique year by year. LEDinside / TrendForce was honored to have an exclusive interview with Winfried Reeb, Head of Busine...

LiDAR sensor manufacturers across the world including Innoviz Technologies, Hesai, Lumentum and Velodyne Lidar have announced their new achievements recently and are going to showcase novel technologies at upcoming events. Innoviz Technologies added a new sensor to its product line, the InnovizTwo. The new automotive-grade LiDAR sensor, with a major cost reduction design of over 70% compared to InnovizOne, offers a solution for all levels of autonomous driving. Samples of InnovizTwo will be available in Q3 2021. (Image: Innoviz) China-based Hesai also re...

Velodyne Lidar recently reported new collaboration with its partners in China. The recently listed LiDAR maker said that it has entered a long‑term global cross-licensing relationship with RoboSense (Suteng Innovation Technology) and signed a three-year sales agreement with Baidu. (Image: Velodyne Lidar) The cross-licensing relationship with RoboSense encompasses a broad range of 360° surround-view LiDAR sensors, by which Velodyne said will be mutually beneficial for the existing and future patents of both companies. Velodyne and RoboSense have also agr...

Velodyne Lidar announced on September 29 that it has completed the business combination with Graf Industrial. The LiDAR producer reported in July this year that it will go public through the combination. The two companies have closed the combination and Velodyne has became a wholly owned subsidiary of Graf which changed its name to Velodyne Lidar. Beginning on Wednesday, September 30, 2020, the common stock and warrants of Velodyne Lidar, Inc., the post-combination company, is being listed and to begin trading on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticke...

LiDAR solution provider Cepton Technologies unveiled details of its automotive-grade LiDAR sensor, Vista®-X90, which deliver advance performance with high volume price of less than $1000. The product is scheduled for production in 2022. The Vista-X90 is the newest addition to Cepton’s Vista-X automotive grade sensor family. It sets a new benchmark for high performance at low power in a compact form factor, and is ideally suited for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous vehicles (AVs). Weighing less than 900 g, the Vista-X90 achieve...

Amphenol LTW provides connectors for industrial automation and machine vision, horticultural lighting, LED lighting and display, fishing light and other markets. Under the influence of COVID-19, the industrial automation and machine vision markets are still making remarkable progress. LEDinside had the honor to interview Charles Wu, the Global BD of Amphenol LTW, to share with us Amphenol LTW solutions for machine vision applications in industrial automation. (image: Amphenol LTW) Charles Indicated that, due to the impact of COVID-19, the growth ...

South Korea based LiDAR company SOS LAB will launch 2D and 3D LiDAR sensors starting this October for factory automation and autonomous vehicles, reported TheElec. The company is going to launch its 2D LiDAR sensor SL-2 in October and a 3D fully solid-state LiDAR ML-1 next year. SOS LAB adopts VCSEL and solid-state technology for its LiDAR sensors. (Image: SOS LAB) SOS LAB has collaborated with On Semiconductor, using the SPAD Array for sensing single photons for solid-state LiDAR ToF applications. The co...

Lucid Motors unveiled production details of its electric vehicle, Lucid Air. This new electric-powered automobile features cutting-edge technologies including its LiDAR embedded ADAS and advanced headlamp lighting. (Image: Lucid Motors) The Lucid Air's ADAS is called Lucid DreamDrive, which is a platform combining comprehensive sensor suite with a Driver Monitoring System (DMS). According to Lucid Motors, it is the first system of its kind to offer 32 sensors, covering vision, radar and ultrasonics, plus high-resolution LIDAR in an E...

LiDAR sensor producer Ouster reported that it has raised US$42 million of new investment to fund product development and further accelerate worldwide sales. After launching its second generation of high-resolution LiDAR sensors in January, Ouster’s 12-month revenue has grown by 62%, with third quarter bookings up 209% YoY. The company unveiled two new LiDAR sensors earlier this year. By adopting its semiconductor-based technology, Ouster replaces complex legacy analog architecture and enables cost-effective sensing solution. (Image: Ouster) Ouster now...

Aeva and ZF will collaborate to bring Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LiDAR to the automotive market. The two parties are going to leverage their expertise, combining Aeva's FMCW LiDAR technology and ZF's experience in industrialization of automotive grade sensors to accelerate mass production of 4D LiDAR technology for autonomous driving applications. (Image: Aeva) Aeva and ZF aim to bring the first automotive grade 4D LiDAR to market for autonomous driving applications. The final system is targeted as a key solution for au...

LeddarTech announced that its LiDAR sensor, Leddar Pixell, has been selected by Cavonix, a mobile autonomy technology specialist under the Aim Technologies Group. The LiDAR technology provided by LeddarTech will be applied for autonomous shuttles and off-road trucking. Cavonix, based in the UK, developed a range of white-label autonomous control systems for several vehicle manufacturers and technology companies. Together with their parent company Aim Technologies, experts in motorsports electronics, Cavonix has recently developed a range of new technologies for t...

LiDAR technology builder Quanergy announced its partnership with Milestone Systems, an open platform video management software developer, to enhance flow management system with improved functions. Quanergy’s AI-powered 3D LiDAR sensors and QORTEX perception software are now interoperable with Milestone’s open platform video management software. This combination of technologies delivers advanced people flow and occupancy management capabilities for smart spaces, as well as enhanced threat detection and surveillance in security environments. (Image: Q...

Allegro MicroSystems (Allegro) announced the acquisition of Voxtel, a company specializing in advanced photonic and 3D imaging technology including LiDAR. With the acquisition, Allegro aims to integrate Voxtel’s expertise in laser and imaging to enhance ADAS technology. Voxtel experts in photonics and has provided solutions for military, space, automotive and surveillance applications. Its ultra-miniature lasers, read-out integrated circuits (ROICs), and near-infrared (NIR) and short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) photodetectors are supported by more than 3...

As the launch of iPhone 12 is approaching, more rumors about the new Apple product were unveiled. Las week, a new Apple leak said that LiDAR sensor is “confirmed” for iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple predictor Jon Prosser uploaded a video and share a few alleged screenshot of iPhone 12. One of the picture demonstrate the option of “Enable LiDAR CA,” indicating that LiDAR will be featured for the new iPhone. (Image: Jon Prosser's Twitter post) This will not be the first time Apple adopting the sensor component in its product. Th...

In addition to support autonomous driving technology, LiDAR is also adopted for scientists to reach deeper into the underwater world. A research published in Applied Optics presented an approach to detect algae and measure key properties using LiDAR, which reached deeper than has been typically possible using satellites. (Image: Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences) "The LiDAR approach has the potential to fill some important gaps in our ability to measure ocean biology from space," said Collister, a PhD student at Old Dominion University. "T...

German LiDAR sensor company Ibeo Automotive Systems announced that it will begin delivery of its new ibeoNEXT LiDAR sensor starting in October 2020. The sensor is based on a completely new type of photon laser measurement technology and works completely without moving parts (real solid-state). One of the key component of the product is VCSEL provided by AMS. (Image: Ibeo) Developed in-house by Ibeo and manufactured in accordance with automotive series production standards, the new LiDAR sensor is suitable for driver assistance systems as well as for a...

Luminar announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Gores Metropoulos and once the transaction finished, the combined company will be listed on Nasdaq under “LAZR.” Luminar is set to power the introduction of highway self-driving and next-generation safety systems and is partnered with 7 of the top 10 global automakers including Volvo and Audi. Starting in 2022, Luminar’s hardware and software will be integrated into Volvo’s global vehicle platform, the foundation for their next generation of consumer vehicles. (Image:...

A new research by Stanford scientist demonstrate a new approach to slow down light so that photons have more chances to interact with other materials, opening a door for new applications such as LiDAR, LiFi and AR/VR. The research paper was published in Nature Nanotechnology on August 17, 2020. To slow down light, the Stanford researchers structured ultrathin silicon chips into nanoscale bars to resonantly trap light and then release or redirect it later. The approach is like creating an echo chamber to hold onto sound and direct it. These "high-quality-factor&quo...

Velodyne Lidar announced a partnership with University of Nevada, Reno to advance research in transportation infrastructure. The university’s Nevada Center for Applied Research purchased and, in conjunction with the Nevada DOT and Nevada Governor’s Office of Economic Development, is using Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors in its Intelligent Mobility initiative to collect data aimed at making transportation more efficient, sustainable and safe. (Image: Velodyne Lidar) The program has integrated Velodyne Ultra Puck LiDAR sensors with traffic ...

LiDAR is considered to be the key technology for self-propelled vehicles. Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LIDAR - a cumbersome abbreviation for a disruptive technology - will facilitate the breakthrough in autonomous driving and, according to experts, will completely force the currently used Time of Light (TOF) LIDAR systems out of the market. Scantinel Photonics, a venture company supported by ZEISS Ventures, is a FMCW LiDAR expert in Europe. FMCW RADAR is already being offered as a standard driver assistance system in the a...

AMS and Ibeo Automotive Systems confirm that ams VCSEL technology is a core component of Ibeo’s new solid-state LiDAR solution, ibeoNEXT. Ibeo’s LiDAR system will be used in Level-3 automated driving on production vehicles at Great Wall Motor Company starting in 2022. The VCSEL manufacturing technology of ams allows for flexibility in layout design regarding number of pixels, their size and pitch, and specific addressability patterns. The VCSELs can differentiate in scan and flash applications as they are less sensitive to individual e...

Quanergy Systems revealed its new product M1, a 2D industrial LiDAR sensor for mid- to long-range, high precision measurement applications. The M1 joins the company’s M-Series to expand its industrial product portfolio by offering twice the price-performance vs legacy industrial LiDAR sensors. With up to double the range and range accuracy and 75% more data, M1 provides accuracy and object-detection at longer range compared to the legacy LiDAR sensors in the market today. (Image: Quanergy) The M1 2D LiDAR sensor is designed specifically to increase ...

Lucid Motors announced its DreamDrive, an ADAS system combining sensing solutions including LiDARS which will be equipped with Lucid Air revealing on September 9, 2020. Lucid Air that will be delivered in early 2021 is expected to be the first to market with the combination of a driver monitoring system and a sensor suite that includes high-resolution LIDAR as standard equipment. The DreamDrive technology suite supports 19 key safety, driving, and parking assist features that will be available on Lucid Air upon start of production, with another eight features e...

LeddarTech announced that its LiDAR product Leddar Pixell is now adopted by COAST Autonomous in an autonomous delivery vehicle (ADV) at the Kinney County Railport (KCRP) near Brackettville, Texas. KCRP is one of several railyards operated by Harbor Rail Services Company of California. COAST Autonomous selected LeddarTech’s Leddar Pixell Cocoon LiDAR with its 360-degree vehicle coverage as a supplier for this project. The COAST Autonomous electric ADVs operate CO2 emission-free and enable Harbor Rail to operate and mov...

The Franco-German satellite MERLIN is due to be launched into space in 2025 to measure the methane concentration in the Earth's atmosphere - a milestone in climate research. Important components of the LiDAR measurement system come from the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut in Berlin, which has now delivered the required laser diode benches to the project partner. The MERLIN mission aims to better understand the effect of the greenhouse gas methane on global warming. A radar-like laser system on the satellite measures natural and anthropogenic methane emissions: The...

Velodyne Lidar announced a three year sales agreement with PARIFEX, a traffic management and speed measurement systems provider. Based on the agreement, PARIFEX will use Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors in its traffic monitoring solutions which can help reduce road accident rates and enhance roadway safety. (Image: Velodyne Lidar/PARIFEX) PARIFEX equips its NANO-CAM and NOMAD solutions with Velodyne Puck sensors for real-time tracking of static and moving objects including vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists, while preserving anonymit...

LiDAR sensor and technology builders Cepton and Luminar recently announced their expansion plans respectively, aiming to scale the market as well as to speed up technology development. Cepton Technologies, who began partnership with Japan-based Koito, appointed industry veteran Andrew Klaus as country manager for Japan, marking its continued expansion into the Japanese and Asian markets. Klaus’ role will initially focus on building Cepton’s market share in Japan, where the company has experienced growing demand for its high-performance LiDAR solution...

Two recent researches of LiDAR introduced new solutions to improve the sensing technology. The study by University of Colorado Boulder described a new silicon ship without moving parts or electronics that enhances resolution and scanning speed for LiDAR sensor. In addition, researchers from Purdue University and École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) unveiled their development with FMCW LiDAR. For the research of Univerity of Colorado Boulder aims to develop small chip to replace existing big LiDAR system. The research t...

U.S.-based LiDAR maker, Velodyne Lidar, announced that it has entered a long-term global licensing agreement with Hesai Photonics Technology encompassing 360° surround-view LiDAR sensors. Based on the agreement, Velodyne and Hesai have agreed to dismiss current legal proceedings in the U.S., Germany and China that exist between the two companies. The license agreement covers both existing and future patents of both company. David Hall, Velodyne Founder and Chairman of the Board, commented, “We think this agreement will expand the adoption of LiD...