In a recent webinar Lasertel VP of Sales and Marketing, Robert Walker, discussed the many advancements in the autonomous vehicle market, including increasing requirements, new technology options, and the questions remaining for engineers.
We have previously written about many of the technical aspects of laser diode design, such as cooling systems, electrical power sources, and diode structure. It is critical to remember that automotive lidar systems operate principally outdoors, meaning an important consideration is the surrounding environment. For automotive lidar, there are four main factors to consider when selecting and designing the laser diode that lies at the heart of the lidar system.
When it comes to designing your laser system, whether it be a medical system for aesthetic treatment or an advanced targeting system for directed energy, a full-view approach is needed. Beyond the diode, you will need to have a plan for incorporating electronics and optics, as well as packaging the unit in a way that it can withstand your application's environmental challenges. You've likely spent a significant amount of time thinking through the specifics of your design, choosing a partner requires the same attention to detail and the end decision should allow for seamless integration and clear alignment to your goals.
As the use of lasers in a variety of markets continues to increase, we find ourselves on the road, meeting more and more innovative teams exploring the emerging laser markets for applications such as directed energy, automotive lidar, and direct diode heating.
Earlier this month, Lasertel exhibited at SPIE’s 2019 BiOS and Photonics West. This year, the show hosted over 1,300 companies and facilitated a week full of research with over 5,000 presentations and courses. For Lasertel, the week started with exhibiting at the BiOS conference, highlighting the T6 high powered laser diode, the industry standard component for laser hair removal systems.
Our team recently returned from another year at CES in Las Vegas. Similar to last year's show, we came back inspired by the innovative technology and advancements in the consumer technology space. We saw vast uses and applications for machine intelligence, AI, robotics and cameras galore! Remember the old carnival game of guess your age or weight? They have cameras for that now! There were tools that did 3D mappings of people on large stages, utilizing lasers. Attendees wandering the show floor had age range determined by a camera and got to explore the latest advancements in recognition software.
In our recent direct diode heating blog series, we expressed some of the advantages of direct diode heating, which refers to heating specific regions of a material’s surface using diode lasers. As described previously, direct diode heating provides a number of benefits over traditional methods of indirect heating, such as heating lamps. These advantages include:
Lasertel has been on the forefront of directed energy laser technology for quite some time. The team's involvement extends past manufacturing the technology, as Lasertel has also dedicated time promoting and discussing the advancements in the space with U.S. Congress. As a part of this, John Goings, Lasertel’s lead for directed energy lasers, visited Capitol Hill last month. During his visit, Goings met with 10 Committee Staff Members, including members of the DE Caucus, Senate Armed Services Committee, House Armed Services Committee, and the Military Legislative Advisers (MLA) in the following offices:
As we continue to expand our capabilities, we welcome new members to our team in both the automotive lidar and defense divisions.
