Smaller Lidar Leads to Sleeker Self-Driving Cars

Oct-01-16 Self-driving cars may soon be traveling undercover with the creation of the new fist-size lidars from Quanergy.

Currently, autonomous vehicles rely on large lidar systems, which are mounted conspicuously on the roof of the car. While these systems are required for the vehicle to accurately map its area, they are also bulky and unattractive.

As an alternative, the team from Quanergy developed compact lidar systems that can be contained in the vehicle’s grill or mirrors. The smaller lidar was made possible by replacing the conventional spinning mirrors with millions of tiny antennas, which are used to steer the laser beams as they bounce off the objects in the environment. In addition to the smaller size, the solid-state lidar system also provides better detail and is more robust than systems with moving parts.

Image: A conventional self-driving car with the large lidar on top

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[TECHNOLOGYREVIEW.COM]
[QUANERGY.COM]

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