Press release

Insight LiDAR Announces Highest Resolution FMCW LiDAR for Autonomous Vehicles

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Sponsored by Businesswire

Insight
LiDAR
announced the demonstration of Digital Coherent LiDAR™, an
ultra-high resolution, long-range LiDAR sensor targeted at the emerging
autonomous vehicle (AV) market. Insight’s unique sensor combines a
number of critical technologies to deliver a low-cost, chip-scale LiDAR
that not only has the sensitivity to range low-reflectivity objects at
over 200 meters, but also delivers industry-leading resolution, putting
10-20 times more pixels on objects. This ultra-high resolution, along
with direct Doppler velocity enables perception teams to identify and
classify objects much faster than ever before, while additionally
providing the critical information necessary to solve difficult AV edge
cases.

LiDAR is the most critical sensor enabling autonomous vehicles.
According to Pitchbook’s Q3 2019 Emerging Tech Mobility Report, “Lidar
technology is critical for automotive-grade, self-driving applications
because it provides distance, speed and depth information in a
computationally compact fashion.” However, today’s legacy lidar sensors
are unable to simultaneously meet all of the critical performance, cost
and reliability targets required for widespread, safe autonomous vehicle
operation.

Insight’s Digital Coherent LiDAR was developed from the ground up, to
address these critical unmet needs. With more than 12 years of
experience in high-resolution medical and industrial imaging, Insight
LiDAR put together a combination of enabling technologies and patented
techniques culminating in a small, rugged sensor that for the first time
simultaneously addresses all critical performance, reliability and cost
requirements.

Among the breakthroughs built into Digital Coherent LiDAR are:

  • Ultra-High Resolution: 10-20 times higher resolution enabling
    identification of small and dim objects, even at very long range (200+
    meters).
  • Direct Doppler Velocity: Velocity measured with every pixel
    reduces system latency by 5-8 times.
  • True Solid-State Fast-Axis Scanner: No moving parts in the
    fast-axis enabling high-reliability and low cost.
  • Software Defined Foveation: Enabling flexible pixel patterning.
  • Chip-Scale Architecture: All photonics on Photonic Integrated
    Circuits (PICs), all electronics on ASIC. Enabling a low-cost,
    scalable semiconductor cost structure.
  • Immunity: Unaffected by sunlight, other lidar or photonic
    hacking.

Insight LiDAR’s extensive patent portfolio covers not only the design
and control of the laser source, critical for the FMCW detection
technique, but also includes key system IP enabling Insight’s
high-resolution, foveation, large field of view and long-range
performance.

“Perception for autonomous vehicles is a really difficult problem,” said
Michael Minneman, CEO of Insight LiDAR. “In the case of LiDAR, you
really can’t pick and choose which system specifications you want to
meet. In order to deliver safe, effective point clouds for the
perception team, there are 20 or more really critical specs that all
need to be met simultaneously. And they have to be met in an
architecture that can be scaled up for low-cost production in the
millions of units. That’s exactly what we’ve been able to put together
based on over 12 years of technology development.”

“Perception teams all ask for more pixels on objects. More pixels allow
algorithms to identify objects and make critical decisions faster,”
added Dr. Chris Wood, head of development and technology at Insight
LiDAR. “Our technology enables us to drastically increase the pixel
count, while simultaneously providing direct velocity information.
Together this data addresses most of the really difficult edge cases
perception teams face.”

Insight will be demonstrating Digital Coherent LiDAR at the Consumer
Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January. To arrange a meeting at CES,
please contact Greg Smolka, VP, Business Development at gsmolka@insightlidar.com
or (978) 766-6805.

Key Features of Digital Coherent LiDAR:

  • Long Range – 200 meters to 10 percent reflectivity targets
  • Ultra-High resolution – up to 0.025 x 0.025 degrees
  • Large Field of View – 120 x 340 degrees
  • Direct Doppler velocity in every pixel
  • True solid-state, flexible fast-axis scanning
  • Complete immunity from sunlight and other lidar
  • Low-cost chip scale, all-semiconductor approach

Further information about Insight LiDAR’s Digital Coherent LiDAR™ is
available at insightlidar.com. Direct inquiries to the company can be
made to contact@insightlidar.com
or by calling (303) 604-5130.

About Insight LiDAR

Insight LiDAR, launched in 2016, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Insight
Photonic Solutions, based in Boulder. Insight Photonic Solutions is an
award-winning, global leader in fast-scan, swept wavelength laser
technology. Its products are used in applications ranging from
biomedical imaging to semiconductor manufacturing to material processing.

Images

Insight LiDAR Digital Coherent LiDAR Unit: https://0aceca5826-custmedia.vresp.com/library/1578324624/c96218e40d/insight/Insight-DCL.jpg

Insight LiDAR vs. Legacy LiDAR: https://0aceca5826-custmedia.vresp.com/library/1578324652/99967fe2b5/insight/LiDAR_Comparison.jpg

From 60 meters away, direct Doppler velocity detects the direction the
Segway rider is turning: https://0aceca5826-custmedia.vresp.com/library/1578331607/bcf30bc671/insight/segway_composite.jpg