self driving: Velodyne targets sub-$500 price point for self-driving car sensor – Latest News

Velodyne turned a public firm in September and is among the a number of corporations vying to produce automakers with lidar, a sensor that generates a three-dimensional map of the highway forward. Velodyne was an early entrant into the market and its models have powered analysis operations for a lot of automakers.

A few of these early analysis models had been cumbersome, contained many transferring elements and price effectively above $10,000. For mass manufacturing in passenger autos, automakers and their main suppliers search models which are glossy sufficient to suit into engaging automobile designs and price effectively under $1,000.

An rising variety of units, resembling Apple’s new iPad Professional and iPhone 12 Professional fashions, embody lidar sensors that assist with functions resembling augmented actuality, through which digital content material is overlaid on the true world.

Velodyne on Friday floated the idea of Velarray H800, which may very well be “obtainable at high-volume manufacturing ranges with a goal worth of lower than $500”, however didn’t say when the models would go on sale.

The autonomous automobile expertise firm stated the unit could have no transferring elements – referred to as “stable state” within the trade – and might be sufficiently small to suit behind the windshield of a automobile. The corporate stated the sensor can be utilized for self-driving autos or present driver-assistance options resembling emergency braking and lane-keeping help.

Velodyne is amongst a trio of lidar expertise builders coming to public markets. Silicon Valley agency Aeva Inc goals to go public by merging with blank-check acquisition firm InterPrivate Acquisition Corp, and Luminar Technologies Inc is working via an identical transaction with Gores Metropoulos Inc.