ams and OSRAM help RoboSense launch MX LiDAR

According to MEMS Consulting, ams Osram (Swiss Stock Exchange stock code: AMS), a world-leading optical solution provider, recently announced that with the rapid advancement of the wave of automotive intelligence, LiDAR has become an indispensable core sensor for autonomous driving systems, leading the future of advanced driver assistance technology. On April 25, at the Beijing Auto Show, RoboSense, a world-leading supplier of LiDAR and perception solutions, demonstrated its latest MX LiDAR for the first time. This product integrates ams Osram's mature EEL SPL series edge-emitting laser technology to provide high-precision laser output for LiDAR, giving cars and robots perception capabilities beyond vision.

Since its establishment in 2014, RoboSense has been a pioneer in the automotive LiDAR industry, providing services to many automakers and Tier 1 suppliers around the world. As of the end of March 2024, RoboSense has received orders for 65 designated models from 22 automakers and Tier 1 suppliers. According to S&P Global Mobility's "2022 Global Autonomous Driving and LiDAR Market Trend Analysis" report, RoboSense is the world's first LiDAR technology company to receive the most cooperation from automakers. At the same time, RoboSense is the world's first technology company to deliver the second-generation intelligent solid-state LiDAR to automakers.

ams Osram is the world's leading supplier of LiDAR light source solutions and a close partner of RoboSense. The cooperation between the two parties has achieved remarkable results and jointly promoted the advancement and industrialization of LiDAR technology. RoboSense's existing multiple series of LiDARs are equipped with ams Osram's lasers, including LiDARs and solutions for multiple fields such as autonomous driving, ADAS, and robotics.

As a leading global supplier of smart sensors and light source solutions, ams has a unique and comprehensive LiDAR solution that covers multiple technologies such as EEL and VCSEL. From bare die, packaged lasers to integrated modules, ams is able to provide a full range of LiDAR solutions to meet the needs of customers in different application scenarios.

In particular, ams OSRAM's EEL SPL series edge-emitting lasers have become the main choice in the automotive lidar market with their advanced technology and reliable quality, playing a key role in advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and driverless taxis (Robotaxi).

The uniqueness of EEL technology stems from the fact that ams OSRAM’s infrared laser diodes are designed for pulsed operation and are suitable for LiDAR applications for automotive autonomous driving. EEL technology uses cutting-edge multi-layer nano-stacked emitter technology to provide high power while maintaining a small size, making it the technology of choice for long-range LiDAR. In addition, the infrared laser diodes with a wavelength of 905nm have the highest efficiency on the market. And they can operate with extremely short pulses (down to 2ns) while providing excellent power.

Thanks to the support of ams OSRAM EEL SPL series edge-emitting lasers, RoboSense's automotive lidar has made comprehensive breakthroughs in ranging, resolution, size, weight and output points, and released a new generation of medium and long-range lidar MX.

Long before this launch, RoboSense’s M1 and M2 were also equipped with ams OSRAM EEL SPL series edge-emitting lasers.

RoboSense M1 & M1 Plus are equipped with ams Osram SPL series EEL lasers, which can achieve an ultra-long measurement distance of 200m. With higher resolution, the horizontal and vertical angles are accurate to 0.2°, and the vertical resolution of the ROI area is dynamically increased to 0.1°, which makes it easier to see distant obstacles earlier, allowing the vehicle to respond in advance, improving the autonomous driving experience, making the size of the LiDAR smaller, and defining the previous mass production thickness standard of 45mm for vehicle-mounted LiDAR. M1 & M1 Plus have more output points, 787,500pts/s in single echo mode. M2 is further equipped with ams Osram's SPL low-temperature drift high-point frequency EEL. Compared with the previous generation M1 Plus, it achieves a double leap in ranging and angular resolution, with the maximum ranging capability increased to 250m and the best angular resolution increased to 0.1°×0.1°, greatly improving the detection capability of small obstacles at a long distance. At the same time, the global output point count doubled to 1,575,000pts/s.

As a product with small light-emitting size and low temperature drift, the SPL series low temperature drift high frequency EEL has a unique advantage in improving the signal-to-noise ratio. According to tests, when the temperature range is between -40℃ and 125℃, the 40nm background noise originally received by the receiving end can be effectively reduced to 20nm, which is equivalent to reducing the noise to 50% of the original noise, thereby increasing the signal-to-noise ratio to twice the original.

Mr. Liu Letian, co-founder and CTO of RoboSense, said: “LiDAR has very strict requirements in product selection. It must ensure the stability and reliability of the laser, while also achieving a low wavelength drift coefficient with temperature, and achieving high power output while maintaining a small light-emitting size. For this reason, ams OSRAM EEL SPL series edge-emitting lasers are very suitable for automotive LiDAR.”

RoboSense and ams Osram have a long history of cooperation. In March this year, Odo Kamp, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ams Osram, visited RoboSense's headquarters in Shenzhen, visited the company's product display and had in-depth exchanges with Dr. Chunxin Qiu, Chairman and Chief Scientist of RoboSense, and Mr. Chunchao Qiu, CEO. The two sides discussed topics such as the development trend of LiDAR technology and product cooperation, and reached a consensus on further cooperation. During the exchange, RoboSense expressed recognition and gratitude for the technology and support of ams Osram. The two sides discussed the intention to further expand the scope of cooperation to multiple fields such as smart transportation and smart travel, and exchanged views on deepening the multi-level partnership. Looking forward to the future, the two sides hope to continue to deepen cooperation and promote the application of more innovative achievements related to LiDAR technology in the automotive field. The two sides will maintain a close partnership and grow together in order to achieve a higher level of mutual benefit and win-win results, and bring breakthrough changes to the LiDAR industry in China and even the world.

At the end of the visit, Oddo Kamp commented: “I am very grateful to our customers for their continued trust and recognition of ams. ams is proud to stand with RoboSense, which has made extraordinary achievements in the field of LiDAR. In the future, I look forward to deepening cooperation with our customers to jointly promote the innovation and development of LiDAR technology and provide safer and more reliable solutions for autonomous driving and intelligent applications.”