In the last several years, there has been a growing demand for technology to support smart city applications. The idea being that a city empowered by data allows for greater efficiency in almost any aspect. Benefits range from ensuring faster, more accurate response times for first responders to analyzing traffic patterns for better infrastructure design. Big data, artificial intelligence, and reliable sensing technology are all essential for this to be successful.

The Lasertel team recently had the opportunity to take in the future of transportation and consumer electronics at CES 2020. Below are a few of the highlights from their time on the show floor.

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.

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.

Eyal Levi leads the development of night vision systems for improved driver safety and is working on enhanced vision for both driver-operated and levels 4 and 5 autonomous vehicles for major automobile manufacturers. Today, he shares his perspective on lidar and night vision technologies and the challenges and promise of laser systems for automotive lidar.

At CES 2018 in Las Vegas this January, Lasertel’s Robert Walker met with lidar customers and previewed major automotive customers’ exhibitions. This year, autonomous vehicles from manufacturers such as Hyundai, Ford, and Mercedes, were at the forefront of the tradeshow floor. Here are their impressions. 

Dr. Prabhu Thiagarajan, Lasertel’s VP of Engineering, is working with some of the leading automotive companies and system integrators in the market to bring the driverless vehicle to widespread adoption.

Last month, Lasertel’s Key Account Manager for Automotive Lidar attended the Automated Vehicles Symposium in San Francisco, led by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and the Transportation Research Board, part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEMTRB).

Why lidar?

Radar and lidar are two technologies that appear in current driver-assistance hardware. Autonomous driver assistance systems increase a driver’s awareness of surrounding factors that present safety risks. Both work on the principle of measuring the “time-of-flight” of an electromagnetic wave from the moment it leaves the source to the moment the wave is detected by the sensor, after having reflected from any objects in the foreground.