New LiDAR uses solar tech to boost AV vision

LiDAR is seen by most as an important part of the autonomous vehicle (AV) sensor suite, and many start-ups have tapped into growing demand for sensors that can see further and with greater accuracy. Innovation has been swift, and bulky sensors of the early 2010s are making way for sleeker, high-performance units.

The sector is now awash with new technologies and there are already many different types of LiDAR available. One start-up has even developed a proprietary system that leans on success seen in the solar industry. Sense Photonics was founded in 2016, and has offices in the US, UK and Israel. It is currently an early-stage start-up that has gone through Series A funding, but has big ambitions to shake up the LiDAR sector.

In January 2021, the company announced it was the first to accurately detect objects from 200 metres using a particular type of sensor: a solid state, 940 nanometre (nm) wavelength, global shutter flash LiDAR. Global…