Autonomous vehicles and the truth about LiDAR sensors

摘要

Light detection and ranging (Li-DAR) sensors are moving from niche scientific and space applications to mass-market adoption to deliver 3D data with depth resolution in advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous cars.Remember Google's self-driving car with a mechanical spinning bucket on its rooftop? It was a 64-laser LiDAR from Velodyne LiDAR that offered a 3D view of the vehicle's surroundings using reflected laser beams, and it cost $75,000. The LiDAR sensors have come a long way from that expensive and bulky setup as we begin to see early adopters in the commercial arena.For example, Koito Manufacturing, a tier-one supplier in Japan, is integrating the miniaturized LiDAR sensors from Cepton Technologies into automotive lighting systems. Cepton's LiDAR sensors, based on its Micro-Motion Technology (MMT), recognize andtrack objects from all four corners of the vehicle to provide a precise 3D image of the surrounding environment.