Engineering news
Lumotive – a Seattle-based developer of solid-state Lidar systems – and Austrian-headquartered ZKW Group unveiled the functional demonstration yesterday (6 January) at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The device includes Lumotive’s M30 module, a golf ball-sized Lidar platform that uses pulsed laser beams to measure distances between objects and the sensors around the vehicle.
The technology can provide “extremely accurate and precise spatial data” to help drivers avoid collisions or further automate driving scenarios, an announcement by the companies said. The M30 only has a range of 20m however, suggesting it would be used alongside other longer-range sensors in autonomous applications.
“Integrating Lidar technology with vehicle lighting systems is the ideal application for Lumotive’s tiny form-factor Lidar module, and this collaboration between Lumotive and ZKW enables a new and exciting era in Lidar use cases,” said market analyst Alexis Debray in the company announcement.
“The market for automotive Lidar is expected to reach $2.3bn in 2026 and then $6.2bn in 2032, including Lidar integrated in next-generation lighting systems that incorporate 3D sensing capabilities.”
The M30 uses solid-state beam steering chips to reduce complexity and cost. The chips “eliminate the need for bulky mechanical moving parts that challenge the cost and reliability of traditional Lidar devices,” the announcement said.
The Lumotive platform also includes software-defined Lidar capability, allowing the Lidar scan pattern, frame rate and resolution to be customised for specific applications in real time.
Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? The Professional Engineering newsletter gives you vital updates on the most cutting-edge engineering and exciting new job opportunities. To sign up, click here.
Content published by Professional Engineering does not necessarily represent the views of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.