Stellantis hopes to improve its self-driving capabilities by investing in what it calls “groundbreaking” LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensor technology.
Stellantis Ventures, the automaker's investment arm, is investing in Stearite, a developer of a new generation of high-performance lidar that uses silicon photonics technology and combines universal semiconductor materials with photographic speed. It is claimed that this technology will allow sensors to display the vehicle's surrounding environment in three dimensions, with higher resolution, precision and lower manufacturing costs than what is currently available.
Automakers are counting on the technology to offer customers of the Stellantis brand improved advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and self-driving capabilities.
SteerLight, which is independent from France's CEA-Leti technology center, employs a frequency-modulated continuous-wave lidar based on silicon photonics technology that mounts the system on a microchip. The system claims to offer vehicle designers and engineers site flexibility because it has no moving parts, is automotive-grade rugged, and is compact. The company claims the system overcomes some of the challenges of modern vehicle lidar technology, such as sensor size and cost.
Ned Kulick, chief engineering and technology officer at Stellantis, said: Our innovative work at SteerLight enables the enhancement and proliferation of ADAS applications. ”
