2/25/2023 0 Comments Luminar lidar![]() ![]() The deal, which follows a multi-year collaboration between the two companies, not only improves the quality of Luminar’s lidar, but it also allows Luminar to control more of the costs in the supply chain. In order to get the point density and resolution needed to allow the AV system to determine whether it sees a tire or a person 300 meters ahead on the road, a high-powered laser pulse and high-quality beams are critical, two components that Freedom Photonics excel at, according to Eichenholz. ![]() Whether on city streets or highways, a major problem autonomous vehicle systems face is the ability to see and recognize objects at far distances. “The deal is signed and expected to close in the second quarter, and it really brings Freedom Photonics’s high-powered laser and their related photonic integrated circuit technologies to optimize the performance, as well as advance our cost roadmap, of our future sensors,” Jason Eichenholz, Luminar’s co-founder and chief technology officer, told TechCrunch. The buy is Luminar’s latest to vertically integrate core lidar components to bring more accurate, lower-cost products to market. The all-stock transaction involves Luminar transferring 3 million shares of its common stock, or about $42.3 million at today’s share price, to Freedom Photonics’s employees per a regulatory filing. To date, the company has raised $36 million in funding from Canvas Ventures, GVA Capital, and 1517 Fund, and has over 400 people across three offices, including a 125,000 sq ft manufacturing campus in Orlando.Luminar, a company that builds vision-based lidar and machine perception technologies for autonomous vehicles, is acquiring high-performance laser manufacturer Freedom Photonics on Monday. Luminar came out of stealth mode in April 2017. Volvo Cars is the first of Luminar’s partners to fully leverage its expanded platform. Data sharing and close collaboration will be equally important for those developing their self-driving software on top of the Luminar data to quickly accelerate safe autonomy vehicle deployments. Over the past year, Luminar says it has created 3D lidar data infrastructure, labeling, and annotation tools to take full advantage of the new level of data quality produced by its sensors. More than just providing the core sensing technology, Luminar has expanded into a perception development platform. Related: Lasers for Lidar: Application parameters dictate laser source selection in lidar systems – feature by senior editor Gail Overton on numerous lidar technologies Related: Lidar startup Luminar enters autonomous vehicle market – LFW report Related : Photonics entrepreneurship meets demand for autonomous vehicle lidar – Milton Chang interviews CTO and co-founder of Luminar, Jason Eichenholz It follows an unveiling of its new sensor and aggressive production plans, ramping to a capacity capable of equipping every self-driving test vehicle globally by the end of 2018. Of Luminar’s four major automotive OEM partners, Volvo Cars is the second to be publicly announced following Toyota Research Institute in September 2017. ![]() “Supporting promising young firms that are at the forefront of technological development will help us introduce cutting-edge technology that strengthens our leading role in the industry.” “Luminar Technologies represents exactly the type of company and technology we seek to invest in, providing us with strategic access to new technologies, capabilities and talent,” said Zaki Fasihuddin, CEO of the Tech Fund. ![]() The recently established Volvo Cars Tech Fund also announced that its first investment is in Luminar. Volvo Cars (Gothenburg, Sweden) is increasing its cooperation with Luminar Technologies (Orlando, FL) to provide the core lidar sensing platform for the car company’s autonomous vehicles. ![]()
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