Lidar key to unlocking AV future – IDTechEx

As autonomous vehicles (AVs) become increasingly attractive, lidar is playing a crucial role in their development.

Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses lasers to measure distances and create detailed 3D maps of the environment.

The automotive lidar market is expected to grow to NZ$13.3 billion (US$8.4b) by 2033, driven by the increasing adoption of AVs and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as predicted by IDTechEx in its report Lidar 2023-2033: Technologies, Players, Markets & Forecasts.

Various sensors are essential to enable ADAS and AV systems, including cameras, radars, ultrasonic systems, and more, the report says.

Cameras offer colour and high-definition images but suffer from poor depth information and can be easily affected by the sun and other poor weather conditions, says author and IDTechEx research director Dr Xiaoxi He.

Ultrasonic systems are very cheap but have a very short detection range. Radars are quite robust to bad weather conditions but give very poor resolution. The typical two-three-inch angular resolution (two degrrees at 100m cannot distinguish a distance larger than 3.4m) of a radar makes most object detection challenging, says He.

“On the other hand, Lidar can compensate for the disadvantages of other sensors, “seeing” in the dark, providing high resolution (e.g., 0.1°) and information not easily affected by the light condition. “Unlike ultrasonic sensors, lidar sensors can detect objects at longer distances and in a wider field of view.

“Lidar systems emit their own light, making them less susceptible to interference from external sources such as sunlight, fog, or rain.”

Although existing sensors can handle most issues on the road, He says  lidar provides an additional layer of safety by acting as a backup to other sensors, such as cameras and radar.

“In situations where other sensors may be compromised or fail, lidar can still provide accurate and reliable data about the environment, allowing the autonomous system to make informed decisions and avoid potential hazards.

“The requirements of safety redundancy make lidar an important consideration by various Tier 1 companies and OEMs.”

The high costs of lidars are usually associated with “premium design”, acting as an excellent marketing tool for vehicles potentially equipped with lidars, He adds.

The report suggests lidar is still relatively immature compared to cameras and radars due to its unestablished supply chain, unclear market landscape, and high price point.

The lidar technology landscape is segmented into four areas; measurement process, emitter, beam steering mechanism, and receiver.

Other factors to consider include wavelength choice and optical system selection, which add further complexity to lidar’s technology choices, He explains.

‘The rapid development of different technologies makes the lidar market even more complicated, presenting challenges and limitations that must be overcome to unlock the potential of autonomous vehicles fully.”

He says many challenges need solving for lidar systems, including the probability of false detection, performance under adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow, and fog; long-range detection, uniform angular resolution, and point cloud density, modular design for various field of view coverage needs, high cost, automotive grade reliability, manufacturability, ease of calibration and product lifetime.

“As lidar technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see a shift towards diversified functions and customised design under different application scenarios.

“Passing automotive grade and cost considerations may be the same or even more important than lidar performance.

“In addition, lidar technology will likely continue improving in terms of resolution, range, and accuracy, making it even more effective at detecting and navigating complex environments.”