Listen to this articleA rapid adoption of Lidar sensor technology can be seen in Europe, especially for autonomous vehicles. The demand is high in the initial stages of testing and developing 4D Lidar sensors.
Significant investments can be seen in European companies and research institutes in 4D lidar services that provide 3D spatial measurements as well as velocity data by measuring the Doppler frequency shift of the return laser pulses.
Too technical, yeah, it is.
One of the emerging hubs in Germany is autonomous driving research, with significant programs taken at automakers BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, and suppliers Bosch and Continental.
Germany’s Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure is supporting the efforts with a fund of over €100 million.
The autonomous driving cluster in Munich is composed of over 60 companies working on self-driving vehicles.
In Germany, the non-profit FIRA test circuit uses a mix of cameras, radar, and 4D lidar from vendors such as Valeo and Ibeo for the safe testing of autonomous prototypes at higher speeds.
4D Lidar got its accurate advantages with the ability to perceive the environment accurately, leading to demand among prominent European labs and startups.
Even an urban autonomous shuttle trial, Navya, presented the importance of 4D lidar in pedestrian monitoring or complex intersections.
In France, Paris allowed trials of robotaxis by Waymo, and Sweden also allowed limited public testing of autonomous vehicles on highways.
European firms on the supply side are recognizing the importance of the 4D lidar innovation. Valeo, Bosch, and Continental are optimizing R&D on sensors required for autonomous driving.
The Scalex series by Valeo offers a wide range of lidars in Germany. Blickfeld, Waymo, and Ibeo are also popular in 4D lidar technology.
However, the competition is huge for European companies from the USA and Asian rivals. A company such as Luminar is supplying Iris lidar to SAIC and Volvo cars.
Hesai and RoboSense, Chinese suppliers, are putting their effort into the European market. The local firms are funded by various European programs to compete in the autonomous driving system.
The higher institutes and the European Commission are also strategizing to cut the lidar cost below €500. In 2021, Germany’s autonomous law will also spur lidar adoption.
The investments and innovation in 4D lidar are heavily supported by the European market. The local firms and large research institutes understand the importance of Lidar technology in self-driving vehicles, and they are encouraging the market to flourish more in this direction.
4D lidar also provides immense opportunities in the autonomous vehicle industry, with the potential to tackle the cost and land us with a vehicle beyond your imagination.
If you see, the major investments are in the sensors that can provide a more accurate control vehicle in any situation with great intuition and understanding of the difference between taking actions in broad daylight or darkness, in front of people, or in an empty space. And once the technology has been innovated at a lower cost, the market is yours to dominate in the future and reshape the whole automotive industry.
Sources:- navya, cepton, markets and markets, marklines, valeo