LiDAR Could Soon Become a Part of External Lighting Systems

One main barrier to the advent of self-driving vehicles is the size and cost of Lidar systems. Cepton Technologies, Inc., which specializes in 3D LiDAR solutions for automotive, industrial, and mapping applications, has come up with innovative miniaturized LiDAR solutions which could be integrated into the external headlights of a vehicle, thus making a significant advance in reducing the cost and weight of such technologies. Cepton will be supplying these systems to Koito Manufacturing Co., Ltd., which is a key global tier-one supplier of exterior automotive lighting.

The high performance LiDAR sensors that Cepton has developed have a compact design which makes it possible to integrate them directly into the lighting system of a vehicle. They would thus take up minimal space and have virtually no impact on the style and sleekness of a vehicle. Cepton’s LiDAR sensors have an innovative Micro-Motion Technology (MMT) platform that allow them to recognize and track objects from all four corners to form a true 3D image of its surrounding environment.

The images obtained are very sharp as the MMT LiDAR sensors come with advanced technology that is free of mechanical rotation and frictional wear. The sensors can detect objects which are as far as 300 meters away. Cepton is continuing to refine its low-power and high-resolution LiDAR technology for integration into automotive lighting systems.

Koito is looking for suppliers who can provide the company with a wide range of sensors to cater to the growing demand for autonomous vehicles. Koito is interested in the potential of the miniaturized LiDAR solution developed by Cepton, and with the customized LiDAR shipment, Koito is pursuing verification of its functionality, performance and reliability.