Aeva launches next-generation lidar system Aeries, integrating key components into a tiny photonic chip

According to foreign media reports, Aeva has released the next-generation frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) lidar system Aeries, which integrates all the key components of the lidar sensor into a micro photonic chip. The size and energy consumption of Aeva's 4D lidar chip system have been greatly reduced, while the range has been greatly improved. It can detect low-reflectivity objects 300 meters away and measure the instantaneous speed of each point, which is a first in the autonomous driving industry. In addition, the price of the lidar chip system is less than $500, while the lidar sensors on the market currently usually cost tens of thousands of dollars.

(Image source: business wire)

“One of the biggest barriers to making autonomous vehicles mainstream is the lack of high-performance, low-cost lidar,” said Soroush Salehian, co-founder of Aeva. “We believe the way to solve this problem is by building a unique silicon-scale lidar chip sensing system.”

What makes Aeva's technology unique

Unlike other lidar technologies, Aeva's 4D lidar chip system can measure the instantaneous speed of every point of an object 300 meters away. The lidar is not interfered by other sensors or sunlight, and its power consumption is much lower than other products with the same performance, thereby improving the safety and scalability of autonomous driving. In addition, unlike other FMCW methods, Aeva's lidar can provide millions of points per beam of light per second, resulting in ultra-high fidelity data.

“Not all FMCW lidars are created equal,” said Mina Rezk, co-founder of Aeva. “The key advantage of our approach is that it breaks the dependency between maximum detection range and point density, which has been one of the obstacles for time-of-flight (ToF) and FMCW lidars. Our 4D lidar integrates multiple beams on a single chip, each capable of measuring more than 2 million points per second at a distance of 300 meters.”

Favored by Volkswagen Group and Porsche SE

Most recently, Volkswagen's largest shareholder, Porsche SE, made a significant investment in the company, its only investment in lidar technology, and the investment expands an existing partnership between Aeva and Audi's self-driving unit.

Alex Hitzinger, senior vice president of Volkswagen Group Autonomous Driving and CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Driving, said, "We have closely examined the market and are confident in Aeva's 4D lidar chip system. Aeva's solution solves the perception bottleneck of autonomous vehicles, thereby promoting the large-scale promotion of autonomous vehicles. We plan to use Aeva's 4D lidar for the Volkswagen ID Buzz AV, which is scheduled to be launched in 2022/2023."

Aeva's next-generation autonomous and highly assisted driving lidar sensor Aeries

Aeva’s next-generation 4D lidar system, Aeries, has a 120-degree field of view and is half the size of Aeva’s first-generation product. Aeries meets final production requirements for autonomous robotaxis and high-volume ADAS customers and will be available for R&D vehicles in the first half of 2020.