ams, Ibeo Automotive Systems and ZF Friedrichshafen have agreed to jointly advance solid-state LiDAR technology for use in autonomous driving and other applications. The three companies will partner on joint R&D efforts to ensure that the technology can be quickly and safely adopted by 2021.

LiDAR is an optical sensing technology that measures distance and direction of the surrounding objects by illuminating them with a laser beam and detecting the reflection of the object. Its unique range and resolution properties complement radar and camera solutions to enable the ‘Holy Grail’ of the self-driving car industry – SAE level 5* or fully autonomous driving.

ams will provide automotive-grade VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) arrays and drivers which provide superior reliability and stability compared to competing light sources, such as edge emitters and LED. ams is the first to market with solid-state LiDAR illumination solutions, where no mechanical parts are needed to steer the light beam direction, improving reliability while reducing complexity, size, weight, and cost.

Due to the high reliability and small form factor, solid-state LiDAR paves the way for massive LiDAR deployment in the automotive segment.