A D V E R T I S E M
LiDAR for
FREQUENTLYASKEDQUESTIONS
Q: What is LiDAR?
A: LiDAR (acronym for light detection
and ranging) is a remote sensing
technology that leverages the time of
flight of invisible light waves to detect
objects and measure their distance
from the sensor. Recently, LiDAR
has gained much traction among
automotive Tier-1 (OEM suppliers) and
OEMs thanks to its many advantages
over traditional sensing technologies,
such as radar and ultrasound. LiDAR
is versatile when it comes to
specifications, integration, and
form factor.
Q: What are the different
types of LiDARs and how are
they used in autonomous
driving?
A: The most widespread type of
LiDARs are mechanical scanning
LiDARs. Better known for being
the technology that enabled
revolutionary applications
such as the Google car or SSL Hybrid Flash and MEMS has a 0.3 by 0.25 degree resolution level 3 and up. (At level 3,
aerial high-resolution terrain with a field of view of 60 by 20 degrees. This unit is able to work drivers are still necessary.
mapping, mechanical scanning with higher levels of autonomous driving.
LiDAR systems are capable
of generating very precise renders
of their surroundings. Mechanical
scanning LiDARs are typically very
expensive, bulky, heavy, and require
complex optics and moving parts. This
combination of factors makes them
hardly viable for integration into mass-
market vehicles, and reserved for niche
or low-volume applications.
New solid-state designs have recently LiDARs are one of the key technologies
been developed to solve the cost, size,
reliability, and complexity issues of
mechanical scanning LiDARs. Built with capabilities evolve from active safety
no mechanical components, solid-state to autonomous driving, LiDARs are
LiDARs (SSL) do have limitations
in field-of-view coverage (usually
Sponsored by LeddarTech
E N T
are not as good at discriminating
Autonomous Driving
not exceeding 90 to 120 degrees).
However, their significantly lower cost
provides the possibility of combining
two or more sensors to increase
the area covered and meet the
specific requirements of mass-market
autonomous driving applications. By
leveraging optimized signal processing
and the latest advancements in
optics and MEMS micromirrors
technologies, for example, SSLs can
deliver high performance comparable
to that of mechanical scanning
LiDARs for a fraction of the cost,
which explains why the automotive
industry favors them for large-scale
autonomous driving deployments.
Q: What is the importance of
LiDAR for autonomous driving?
A: Experts agree that solid-state
that will enable higher levels of
autonomy. Over the next decade, as
foreseen as becoming the largest
segment of automotive detection and
ranging sensors. Some very recent
research forecasts that more than 69
million automotive LiDAR sensors will
ship in 2026.
Q: What are the types of
autonomous driving?
A: The NHTSA has adopted a scale of
0 to 5 to describe the various levels
of autonomy of a vehicle, ranging
from full driver control to complete
autonomy. Level 0 means no autonomy
at all, whereas level 5 is full
self-driving automation, in
which the vehicle performs
all safety-critical driving
functions and monitors
roadway conditions for the
entire trip; at level 5, the
driver is not expected to take
control of the vehicle at any
time. It is worth mentioning
that it will still be a few years
before we see commercial
deployments of autonomy
Autonomous driving is
available only in limited
environments, such as on a highway.)
Q: How will the path toward full
autonomous driving affect the
technology used in a vehicle?
A: Put simply, the higher the
autonomy of a system, the more
essential a sensor-fusion approach
becomes. Cameras and radar alone are
considered insufficient for higher levels
of autonomous driving. Both radar and
camera have their distinct advantages
and disadvantages. For example, radars
have fairly good distance measurement
capabilities, and are unaffected by
weather conditions. However, they
between multiple objects, and have
a hard time detecting static or living
(humans, animals) objects. Camera
vision can detect colors and provide
high-resolution images of a scene, but
fall short in performance in changing or
extreme light conditions, in addition to
requiring heavy processing.
Compared to camera and radar,
LiDAR provides the range and
resolution to detect multiple static
or moving objects in changing or
difficult weather or lighting conditions.
The versatility of solid-state LiDAR
makes it a key requirement for all
levels of automation. From Level 1-3
it can complement or be used as an
alternative to other sensors, and for
Level 4 and 5 LiDARs can provide the
added performance required through
a multi-sensor fusion architecture.
Q: What are some features that
make leading LiDAR systems stand
out?
A: Leading LiDAR technology for
autonomous driving will come from a
combination of technical know-how in
optical time-of-flight detection and a
unique business model. It is important
that modules be compact, have a
flexible format, and help address
issues related to optimal placement of
sensors, and the modules seamless
integration into the vehicles design. A
wide variety of sensor configurations
and fields of view can be achieved from
integrated circuits (ICs), using various
optics combinations, in order to meet
the applications specific requirements.
With optimized solid-state LiDAR
sensing opening new possibilities for
autonomous driving, OEMs are actively
looking for differentiated, customized,
and optimized LiDAR solutions. They
want the best-in-class core technology, A U TO MOTI VE
which resides in ICs, and leading-edge
expertise in LiDAR systems. What was
missing until now was the flexibility in
SO L I D- STATE LIDAR
sourcing required LiDAR components.
With an ecosystem of specialized
Long Range High Resolution
third-party component manufacturers
taking active part in its supply chain,
a technology supplier can enable the
development of customized LiDAR
solutions at the best possible cost,
while accelerating time to market
and allowing better integration into
broader autonomous driving offerings l ed d ar tech . co m
by Tier-1 automotive suppliers.
Sponsored by LeddarTech