LiDAR News: Blackmore, Cepton

BusinessWire: Blackmore introduces Autonomous Fleet Doppler Lidar (AFDL). The multi-beam Doppler AFDL lidar sensor delivers instantaneous velocity and range data beyond 450 meters, with power consumption and size similar to a small laptop. The system supports a 120 x 30-degree field of view, software defined operation, precise velocity measurements with accuracy down to 0.1 m/s on objects moving up to 150 m/s (335 mph), and measurement rates in excess of 2.4 million points/second. Blackmore’s AFDL is available for pre-order and will ship to customers in Q2 2019 for less than $20,000. Samples are shipping to strategic partners now.

With more than $1b invested in the lidar space since 2015, it’s increasingly difficult for end users to identify a solution that delivers as promised. This is because the majority of lidar vendors focus on using pulse-based lidar technologies. As a result, OEMs and suppliers are struggling with the inadequate data created by these power-hungry AM lidar sensors. And as lidar use becomes more prevalent, interference-prone AM systems are less effective and unsafe.

To address this, in 2015 Blackmore introduced the world’s first frequency-modulation (FM) lidar systems for autonomous vehicles, which measure both range and velocity simultaneously. “The reality is that physics ultimately wins, no matter how much funding chases inferior alternatives,” said Randy Reibel, CEO and co-founder of Blackmore. “But more importantly, FM-based Doppler lidar sensors are safer for self-driving applications.”

BusinessWire: Cepton announces two new LiDAR products, Vista-M and Vista-X built with the company's patented Micro-Motion Technology (MMT).

The Vista-M LiDAR packs a 120-deg FOV with 150m range into a sensor the size of a typical box of crayons for integration with a vehicle’s headlights, tail lights and side view mirrors. Currently, Cepton is providing this miniaturized solution to its automotive partners for different integration approaches. The Vista-X LiDAR supports an expanded 200m range capability at a 10% reflectivity target to 120-deg FOV with a uniform 0.2-deg spatial resolution across the entire FOV.

“Cepton is ushering in the next generation of autonomous driving with long range, high resolution 3D perception at an affordable price,” said Jun Pei, CEO and co-founder of Cepton Technologies. “Our Vista-X and Vista-M solutions enable seamless vehicle integration and provide designers with the freedom to create elegant vehicle designs. We are ready to mass produce the Vista Series LiDAR with our tier one suppliers and manufacturing partners for the immediate deployment of autonomous vehicles.”