Partnership to develop AV components

RoboSense is partnering with OEM First Automobile Works (FAW) on developing what they say is the world’s first solid-state smart Lidar sensor RS-Lidar-M1.

The deal is to include the RS-Lidar-M1 as a core component into FAW’s next-generation autonomous driving system development, accelerating serial production of the MEMS-based sensor to promote Level 3 vehicle autonomy and above.

The final commercialised version of the RS-Lidar-M1 has its own embedded artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm technologies and system of chip (SoC).

It transforms traditional Lidar systems (also known as solely data collectors) to full data analysis and comprehension systems.

The RS-Lidar-M1 not only collects and interprets high definition 3D point cloud data, but its built-in AI algorithm and SoC also process road data in real-time, while at the same time synchronising outputs of high-precision localisation, obstacle detection, tracking and classification, road edges and driving area detection.

Unlike the RoboSense smart Lidar sensor, when mechanical Lidar is used on a vehicle a computer-sized electronic control unit (ECU) must also be used to operate the algorithms.

Compared with ECUs, the RoboSense dedicated SoC built into the sensor not only withstands strong bumps and jolts but is also small and light weight.

It can largely reduce power consumption while improving performance, saving more passenger space.

The unit’s streamlined body allows it to be easily embedded onto any part of the vehicle.

Costs are expected be around hundreds of dollars each, based on the deployment of revolutionary MEMS micro-mirror scanning structure and simplified manufacturing and streamlined production while meeting OEM requirements.

“China is standing at the front of the world’s autonomous driving development,” FAW intelligent connected vehicle development director Fengjun Li says.

“Our cooperation with RoboSense demonstrates our confidence in smart Lidar sensors for Level 3 vehicle autonomy and above, and accelerates the commercialised development of our proprietary next-generation autonomous driving system.”

RoboSense founder and chief executive officer Steven Qiu ChuanXin says the RS-Lidar-M1 is a revolutionary product developed from more than 10 years of research.

The current version has greatly improved performance while reducing the size to only the half of the former demo showcased on CES 2019.