Stellantis Ventures, the company enterprise fund of Stellantis N.V., has invested in SteerLight, the developer of a brand new technology of high-performance LiDAR (Gentle Detection and Ranging) sensing expertise.
Using silicon photonics expertise, which mixes a common semiconductor materials with the pace of photographs, the SteerLight LiDAR senses the encompassing atmosphere in three dimensions with larger decision and precision, and at a decrease quantity manufacturing price, than presently out there LiDAR programs.
The expertise has the potential to offer drivers of future Stellantis model autos higher efficiency in quite a lot of superior driver help programs (ADAS), together with automated driving.
“A central side of our Dare Ahead 2030 initiatives is figuring out groundbreaking applied sciences that ship substantial worth to our prospects on a big scale,” stated Ned Curic, Stellantis Chief Engineering & Know-how Officer. “Automated driving enhancements stay a prime precedence at Stellantis. The sport-changing work at SteerLight can allow enhanced and widespread ADAS functions.”
“We see an awesome profit from having Stellantis’ company enterprise fund acknowledge our innovation so we are able to unlock large-scale adoption of LiDAR for industrial and mobility functions,” stated François Simoens, co-founder and CEO of SteerLight. “Our new LiDAR expertise is essential to assist new providers within the automotive trade, and we’re trying ahead to working collectively to advance the subsequent technology of autos.”
SteerLight, a by-product of the French CEA-Leti expertise heart, employs Frequency Modulated Steady Wave (FMCW) LiDAR based mostly on silicon photonics expertise that places the system on a microchip. The system is strong (no shifting components) and compact, maximizing flexibility for car engineers. It overcomes challenges of in the present day’s LiDAR expertise for autos – part dimension and excessive price. The FMCW expertise offers extremely correct depth and velocity knowledge whereas resisting interference from the encompassing atmosphere and different customers.
Since its inception in 2022, Stellantis Ventures has invested in 12 startups and one mobility fund, centered on creating cutting-edge applied sciences that may enhance outcomes for particular person prospects and society as an entire, the corporate stated in a media launch.
