ams and Ibeo Progress in Bringing Solid-state LiDAR Technology to the Automotive Market

ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, and Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH, the German specialist and the global technology leader for automotive LiDAR sensor technology and the associated software, announce that they have made committed progress in bringing to market solid-state LiDAR technology for autonomous driving. ams and Ibeo began joint LiDAR development in 2018 on ibeoNext Solid State LiDAR. Their aim is to provide solid-state LiDAR to the automotive market for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), moving towards autonomous driving adoption. The companies are successfully developing the industry-first true solid-state LiDAR sensor. In October 2020, Ibeo will start delivering samples to customers globally, putting the companies solidly on the path to deliver best-in-class performance for mass LiDAR production in 2022. This will enable for massive solid-state LiDAR deployment in the automotive segment.

"Our leading products are used by automotive companies in Europe and worldwide. We are happy to announce that our cooperation with ams has resulted in the first samples that we can now supply to the global market. Ibeo and ams will continue to cooperate on key LiDAR technology for the automotive market, targeting mass-market availability in 2022,” said Dr. Ulrich Lages, CEO, Ibeo

Automotive Systems.

"Through our focus on differentiating technology, the ams and Ibeo partnership is forged to continue to bring advanced solutions to customers which meet the reliability and safety standards of the automotive industry, paving the way for mass-market introduction in the next few years,” said Pascal Philippon, Senior Vice President of EMEA Sales and Marketing, ams.

LiDAR systems emit laser pulses and then evaluate the light reflected from various objects. From the so-called time-of-flight – or the time it takes for the reflected laser pulse to reach the sensor again – software calculates the distance to the surrounding objects. Modern LiDAR systems can process many laser pulses in parallel: The result is a 3D model of the environment that recognizes crash barriers and road markings as well as cars, cyclists and pedestrians, their position and movement. In combination with a long range and a high spatial resolution, this accuracy is a key advantage of LiDAR technology. Unlike other LiDARs, the solid-state solution means no moving beam-steering mechanism, such as mechanical or MEMS mirrors. This brings significant benefits in terms of reliability and complexity.

ams is a leader in developing and supplying advanced VCSEL technology with the highest power density in the market. The company´s high-power VCSELs can differentiate in scan and flash applications because they are less sensitive to individual emitter failures, are more stable in temperature ranges, and are easy to integrate. The ams VCSEL is able to form emitter arrays, which makes VCSELs easy to scale. ams technology also allows for addressability, or powering selective zones of the die. This enables True Solid State topology. In addition, ams R&D provides enhancements around integrated functional-safety standard and eye-safety features, leading to a highly robust technology.

Ibeo´s flagship ibeoNEXT takes the company´s technology leadership in LiDAR sensor technology further. The ibeoNEXT Solid State LiDAR offers best-in-class extensive detection range, high resolution, and large vertical angle. Through coupling Ibeo expertise in both software and technology, Ibeo´s solid-state LiDAR sensor is a milestone on the road to fully automated driving.

For more information about ams solid-state LiDAR illumination solutions, please go to https://ams.com/lidar.

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