Aeva and ZF Bring First FMCW LiDAR to Automotive Production
September 8, 2020 | Business WireEstimated reading time: 3 minutes
Aeva, a leader in next generation sensing and perception systems, and ZF, a top global automotive Tier-1 supplier, are partnering to bring the world’s first Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) LiDAR to the automotive market. The partnership — Aeva's expertise in FMCW LiDAR technology combined with ZF's experience in industrialization of automotive grade sensors — represents a key commitment to accelerate mass production of safe and scalable 4D LiDAR technology for autonomous driving applications.
“From early on we have believed in building an ecosystem of the world’s most capable partners across the industry and this partnership is one part of that plan. ZF’s capability as one of the largest Tier-1s globally with expertise in automotive scale production of sensing systems is a key step to accelerating the introduction of safe and scalable autonomous vehicles,” said Soroush Salehian, Co-Founder of Aeva. “The industry is at the cusp of deploying the next generation of sensing to realize the adoption of highly automated and autonomous cars and we believe Aeva’s 4D LiDAR will be an indispensable part of this next chapter.”
About the Partnership
Aeva and ZF aim to bring the first automotive grade 4D LiDAR to market for autonomous driving applications. The partnership strengthens the parties’ collaboration by leveraging Aeva’s unique expertise in FMCW LiDAR and perception technology together with ZF’s expertise as a leading automotive supplier, autonomous systems provider, and market leader in smart cameras and the corresponding production know-how. The final system is targeted as a key solution for autonomous driving applications including established truck and OEM manufacturers as well as leading mobility as a service customers.
“LiDAR is a key technology for systems and sensing in the area of highly automated and autonomous driving. Aeva’s unique FMCW technology combines long range performance and direct velocity measurements, making it the right choice for autonomous driving applications. We have seen that different markets require different solutions. For L2+/L3 systems a package and cost optimized Lidar is crucial. For applications which feature L4 and further solutions, the focus lies on range and direct velocity measurement, as edge performance is key for the virtual driver software stack.
Aeva’s FMCW technology approach perfectly meets all the stringent requirements for autonomous operations in trucks and robo-service vehicles. We look forward to bring the world’s first FMCW LiDAR to an automotive grade level and scale production, where ZF can rely on a long-lasting production experience in optical sensors. ‘Automotive Grade’ will become a quality seal, necessary for a solid business model of all autonomous vehicle software stack providers,” said Torsten Gollewski, Executive Vice President Autonomous Mobility Solutions at ZF.
As part of the partnership, Aeva will be responsible for the FMCW LiDAR core sensing functionality, performance and algorithms and ZF will be responsible for industrialization of the automotive grade sensing system that meets all automotive requirements.
What makes Aeva’s 4D LiDAR unique?
Aeva’s FMCW technology is designed to meet the challenging performance and the manufacturability requirements for adoption of LiDAR in autonomous vehicles.
Unlike other LiDAR technologies, Aeva’s 4D LiDAR-on-chip uses a continuous laser beam to measure the change in frequency of the waveform as it reflects off of an object. This allows it to detect an object’s range and instant velocity simultaneously beyond 300 meters at high accuracy. Aeva’s 4D LiDAR is also completely free of interference from other sensors or sunlight and it operates at only fractions of the optical power typically required to achieve long range performance. All of which are critical hurdles that have previously slowed the broad adoption of automotive LiDAR.
Aeva’s technology also differs from other FMCW approaches in its unique ability to break the dependency between maximum range and points density. Aeva’s 4D LiDAR integrates multiple beams on a chip that is produced at silicon wafer scale. Each beam is uniquely capable of measuring multiple millions of points per second at maximum range providing unprecedented data fidelity and significantly enhancing the factor of safety for self-driving cars.
Suggested Items
Kaynes Technology Selects Delvitech’s 3D AI-Based AOI Solutions to Keep Pioneering India’s Electronics Manufacturing
09/04/2024 | DelvitechDelvitech has announced that Kaynes Technology India Limited, a distinguished leader in electronic system design and manufacturing in India, has selected its cutting-edge 3D AI-based automated optical inspection (AOI) solutions. This strategic partnership marks a pivotal advancement in Kaynes Technology’s mission to remain at the forefront of the dynamic electronics industry.
Koh Young Welcomes Chris Treadway to Lead Sales in Key Regions of the U.S.
09/04/2024 | Brent Fischthal, Koh Young AmericaKoh Young Technology has announced the addition of Chris Treadway to its sales team in the United States. Chris will play a crucial role in our continued market expansion as he leads a team of sales partners in his new role as Regional Sales Manager for the Central and Northwest regions of the United States.
Altair Names Collaboration Betters the World as Channel Partner for the EMEA Region
09/04/2024 | AltairAltair, a global leader in computational intelligence, has named Collaboration Betters the World (CBTW) a new channel partner for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA).
Space Flight Laboratory (SFL) Selected by NUVIEW to Develop Pathfinder Satellite Bus for Its Space-Based LiDAR Constellation
09/04/2024 | BUSINESS WIRESpace Flight Laboratory (SFL) has been chosen by NUVIEW, a space-technology company specializing in 3D Earth imaging, to develop the bus for Mr. SPoC, its pathfinder small satellite that will demonstrate the capabilities of the world’s first commercial space-based LiDAR constellation.
STARTEAM GLOBAL Announces Strategic Partnerships with Notion Systems and Peters Group
09/03/2024 | STARTEAM GLOBALSTARTEAM GLOBAL, an established printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturer with over 35 years of expertise, is pleased to announce new strategic partnerships with two German corporations: Notion Systems GmbH, a manufacturer of inkjet printing systems for functional materials, and Lackwerke Peters GmbH & Co. KG, also known as Peters Group, a full-range supplier of coating materials for electronics and PCBs worldwide.