Original article: A self-driving car in every driveway? Solid-state LIDAR is the key.

Author: Nick Mokey

URL: https://www.digitaltrends.com/cars/solid-state-lidar-for-self-driving-cars/

                                                                       Summary:

LIDAR is an exteroceptive sensor that is crucial in the operation of self-driving vehicles. It works on the same principle as radar, but utilizes light instead of radio waves. Here is an image of a conventional LIDAR system on an autonomous vehicle:

The module you see on top of these cars is the LIDAR system. It spins rapidly while emitting beams of light. As this light bounces back towards the system, the LIDAR calculates the positions and angles of the reflected light to create a three-dimensional image of the car's surroundings. The car then uses this data to plot a path through its environment. LIDAR is a key exteroceptive sensor on many self-driving cars.

It is also unreliable and expensive. A conventional LIDAR system requires many moving parts, all built around a console that must spin very rapidly in order to work properly. Any system with multiple parts and a high rate of spin speed is potentially prone to many different types of failure. And the cost of one system (upwards of $75,000) means that it costs more than many of the cars to which it is mated. LIDAR is critical technology, but is unrealistic as a mass-market solution in its current form.

Enter solid-state LIDAR. This is what a solid-state module looks like:

This solid-state system, developed by Veoldyne, is one of many modules currently in development. It is a fraction of the size and a fraction of the cost of a conventional spinning LIDAR.

So how does it work? Simply put, "solid state" means no moving parts, and a solid-state LIDAR works by utilizing an array of light emitters to scan a focused slice of the surrounding environment. According to Quanergy, a manufacturer quoted in the article, this drives the price point of a single solid-state LIDAR system to under $1,000, with technology improvements lowering the price further still. A solid-state LIDAR system can only see a limited slice of its environment (something like 90-120 degrees, depending on the unit), necessitating the use of multiple systems for full 360-degree coverage. However, given the unit's size and price point, it is still far more practical and cost effective to install three or more solid-state units on a car than to use just one conventional LIDAR system.

The vast majority of automobile manufacturers agree that LIDAR is key to fully autonomous, self-driving vehicles. LIDAR is a key extereceptive sensor in these vehicles, and solid-state LIDAR promises to make self-driving cars affordable to the masses.