Tuesday, February 1, 2022

Aeva debuts 4D LiDAR on silicon photonics chip

Aeva, a start-up based in Mountain View, California, introduced a "4D LiDAR" sensor based on a unique Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) technology and a LiDAR-on-chip module design. The sensor uniquely detects the fourth dimension of instantaneous velocity for each point in addition to 3D position. 

Aeva’s LiDAR-on-Chip design eliminates all fiber optics and places all key components including transmitters, receivers and optics onto a silicon photonics chip in a compact module.

Aeva's 4D Perception software powers features like 4D Localization and Ultra Resolution, a camera-level image with up to 20 times the resolution of legacy LiDAR sensors. 

Key features :

  • Camera-Level Ultra Resolution: Leverages Aeva’s proprietary raw 4D data to deliver a real-time camera-level image with up to 1000 lines per frame with no motion blur for the static scene
  • Instant Velocity with Ultra Long Range: Aeva’s next-generation 4D LiDAR uniquely measures instantaneous velocity for each pixel in addition to 3D position, allowing automated vehicles and machines to perceive where things are and know precisely how fast they are moving, at distances up to 500 meters
  • LiDAR-on-Chip Technology: A groundbreaking design eliminates all fiber optics and incorporates all key LiDAR elements onto silicon photonics in a single compact module for reliable and scalable production
  • Automotive Grade Reliability: With automotive-grade ratings for ingress, impact, thermal, and shock and vibration to ensure peak performance across a variety of road and environmental conditions
  • Designed for Versatility: At a quarter of the size of the previous generation, the compact design allows for a wide range of integration options, with real-time configurable maximum ranges, field of views and scan patterns to enable a broad range of autonomous applications

“Aeries II is a leap forward for the industry, and we believe it will play a critical role in unlocking the next wave of automation across a variety of applications from automotive, to industrial and beyond,” said Mina Rezk, Co-Founder and CTO at Aeva. “Aeva's unique FMCW technology has inherent advantages like instant velocity detection for each point that allow us to deliver several crucial breakthroughs for our customers such as Ultra Resolution and 4D Localization, which have not been possible until today. Aeries II provides our customers with a new level of perception to help automated vehicles and machines make safer, more intelligent decisions with higher confidence.”

https://www.aeva.com/aeries-ii/