AMS, ZF, and Ibeo cooperate on solid-state LiDAR for large-scale use in autonomous driving by 2021

(Image source: ams)

According to foreign media reports, Austrian chipmaker ams announced that it has cooperated with German Ibeo Automotive Systems and ZF Friedrichshafen AG to promote the use of solid-state LiDAR technology for autonomous driving and other applications. The three companies will work together to develop solid-state LiDAR technology for vehicles to ensure that the technology can be put into use quickly and safely by 2021. ams is a leading global supplier of high-performance sensor solutions, while Ibeo is an expert in automotive LiDAR sensor technology (ZF once acquired a 40% stake), and ZF is a leading global technology company in the field of mobile travel.

LiDAR is an optical sensing technology that measures the distance and direction of objects by illuminating surrounding objects with a laser beam and detecting the time it takes for the laser beam to be reflected from the object. Its unique ranging and resolution characteristics make up for the shortcomings of radar and camera solutions, enabling L5 or fully autonomous driving in the autonomous vehicle industry. Today's solid-state LiDAR technology enables LiDAR sensors with no moving parts. The lack of moving parts makes the sensor lighter, more powerful, and more compact, allowing manufacturers to produce systems that are much cheaper than existing systems that use rotating mirrors.

ams will provide automotive-grade VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) arrays and drivers, which have higher reliability and stability compared to competing light sources such as edge emitters and LEDs. ams is the first company to market solid-state LiDAR lighting solutions that do not require mechanical parts to control the direction of the beam, while improving reliability while reducing complexity, size, weight and cost. Solid-state LiDAR, due to its high reliability and small size, lays the foundation for the large-scale application of LiDAR in the automotive field.