Lidar in a Flash

Continental delivers a short-range 3D flash lidar sensor that's expected to find increasing application in commercial vehicles and off-highway machines in 2020.

A precise three-dimensional profile of a vehicle's surroundings is a fundamental prerequisite for automated driving. A new high-resolution 3D flash lidar (HFL) sensor developed for use at close range - 50 m (164 ft) or less - delivers on this capability, according to Thomas Laux, head of business development and sales for HFL segment in Continental's Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) business unit.

“This is automotive grade and solid state, meaning no moving parts. It's a bunch of semiconductors, which is ideal for commercial vehicle and even more so for the off-highway environment - they don't have a lot of hours [of operation] but their environments can be pretty rigorous,” said Laux. The IP6K9K packaging is very important for these applications, he said, as is a 3D Global Shutter feature that eliminates motion distortion and enables persistence mode and geo-registration of point cloud.