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I've seen you plug flash LIDAR (especially ASC's unit) several times here, but is anyone actually using it on SDVs? I've seen things that could have been flash

by asteli 9y ago

I've seen you plug flash LIDAR (especially ASC's unit) several times here, but is anyone actually using it on SDVs? I've seen things that could have been flash LIDAR on test cars, but never as the primary sensor. I worked on a team that evaluated the ASC unit a few years ago, but they found it unusable due to bloom issues. Has that changed?

Animats 9y ago
I don't know how Continental is doing about staring into the sun. Here's a recent overview of flash LIDAR detector options.[1] That's more about the detectors used for looking down from aircraft, where ranges may be thousands of meters. Automobiles don't need that kind of range. Flash LIDAR has a tradeoff between range and field of view. You can concentrate your energy or fan it out. There's been some interest in systems where you can narrow the output beam when you need to. Or you can combine wide-beam short-range units with narrow-beam long range ones. There are other flash LIDAR companies, but many of them are vaporware. Quanergy, which bills itself as "the leading provider of solid state LIDAR sensors" announced a unit last year, but doesn't seem to have shipped. Velodyne wants to come out with a solid state product. TetraView is trying for a low-end semiconductor solution that uses common sensors. Luminar and LeddarTech want to use MEMS mirrors. A long-range narrow-beam MEMS-steerable flash LIDAR might be useful. Look out 300m in the direction you're going when at high speed, and use other wide-angle sensors for a side view and in cluttered city environments. Somebody is going to get this working at an acceptable price point reasonably soon. [1] http://spie.org/newsroom/6466-comparing-flash-lidar-detector-options http://spie.org/newsroom/6466-comparing-flash-lidar-detector...
- asteli 9y ago
  Why are flash LIDAR the way forward? Is it just packaging, and the ability to blend the sensor with the lines of the car? Cost? It certainly isn't image quality AFAIK. (as an aside: I don't buy the moving parts argument -- a modern car has thousands, many of which have much tougher jobs than "spin at 900 RPM while on".)
- RealityVoid 9y ago
  I just recently heard about a company building automotive headlights with, let's say "selective lighting", using micro-mirrors. I was then surprised to find out micro-mirror devices have been available for quite a long time. [1] I wonder how come they haven't been used for a solid state LIDAR yet, they seem to be _very_ well suited for this. Are there any limitations because of the power of the LIDAR? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_micromirror_device https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_micromirror_device

by asteli 9y ago

Animats 9y ago

I don't know how Continental is doing about staring into the sun. Here's a recent overview of flash LIDAR detector options.[1] That's more about the detectors used for looking down from aircraft, where ranges may be thousands of meters. Automobiles don't need that kind of range. Flash LIDAR has a tradeoff between range and field of view. You can concentrate your energy or fan it out. There's been some interest in systems where you can narrow the output beam when you need to. Or you can combine wide-beam short-range units with narrow-beam long range ones. There are other flash LIDAR companies, but many of them are vaporware. Quanergy, which bills itself as "the leading provider of solid state LIDAR sensors" announced a unit last year, but doesn't seem to have shipped. Velodyne wants to come out with a solid state product. TetraView is trying for a low-end semiconductor solution that uses common sensors. Luminar and LeddarTech want to use MEMS mirrors. A long-range narrow-beam MEMS-steerable flash LIDAR might be useful. Look out 300m in the direction you're going when at high speed, and use other wide-angle sensors for a side view and in cluttered city environments. Somebody is going to get this working at an acceptable price point reasonably soon. [1] http://spie.org/newsroom/6466-comparing-flash-lidar-detector-options http://spie.org/newsroom/6466-comparing-flash-lidar-detector...

asteli 9y ago
Why are flash LIDAR the way forward? Is it just packaging, and the ability to blend the sensor with the lines of the car? Cost? It certainly isn't image quality AFAIK. (as an aside: I don't buy the moving parts argument -- a modern car has thousands, many of which have much tougher jobs than "spin at 900 RPM while on".)
RealityVoid 9y ago
I just recently heard about a company building automotive headlights with, let's say "selective lighting", using micro-mirrors. I was then surprised to find out micro-mirror devices have been available for quite a long time. [1] I wonder how come they haven't been used for a solid state LIDAR yet, they seem to be _very_ well suited for this. Are there any limitations because of the power of the LIDAR? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_micromirror_device https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_micromirror_device