Solid-State LiDAR Technology Are Gaining Traction to Complement Autonomous Vehicles & Sensor Fusion

Introduction

Solid-State LiDAR technology is a sensor used for mapping, object detection and identification, and navigation without relying on lighting conditions.

Some of the solid-state LiDAR applications across various industries verticals are as follows

• Automotive sector: Internal navigation sensors, air conditioning sensor, airbag sensor, fuel level, and vapor pressure sensor
• Electronic sector: Inkjet printer heads, projection screen television, earthquake sensor, avionics pressure sensor, and disk drive heads

For instance, several car manufacturers, such as Bosch, Audi, Delphi, Continental, and Mercedes-Benz are emphasizing on R&D activities for autonomous driving concept and advanced driver assistance system in the vehicle.

Extensive Use of Drones Equipped with a Solid-State LiDAR System

Factors such as an increase in UAV venture funding, technological developments, and growing drone applications in commercial sectors — 3D mapping, aerial view, drone delivery, are projected to fuel the aerial drones segment. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the number of small drones registered in the U.S. is around 1.1 million units in 2017.

AEye’s 360 Degree Solid-State LiDAR System to Scale Up the Market Purview

The demand for the solid-state LiDAR technology in the automotive market has been growing considerably and anticipated to drive the autonomous vehicles segment. Based on location, the automotive LiDAR sensors can be divided into headlight & taillight, bumper & grill, roof & upper pillar, and windscreen & rearview mirror. Furthermore, increasing concern regarding environment protection, surging sales of electric vehicles, and favorable government initiatives to bring forth green vehicle has boosted the market significantly. In September 2017, AEye Inc., — a  technology company involved in the development of advanced vision hardware and software solutions, announced the completion of a successful live demo of its 360° solid-state LiDAR system for autonomous vehicle application. It is a first commercial solid-state LiDAR system capable of 360° coverage and real-time software configurability.

An Outburst of Trailblazing Technologies in the Automotive Industry Marks an Epoch-Making Event for the Europe Solid-State LiDAR Market 

Europe holds the largest market share, followed by North America, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. Some of the factors driving the solid-state LiDAR market growth are surging popularity of autonomous vehicles and the increasing investment to bring in new & advanced technology. Additionally, favorable reimbursement policies, the presence of automotive manufacturers, and the vast population base in Europe are the market determinants during the forecast period, 2019–2026. The automotive industry has been disrupted by several game-changing technologies over the last few years, which include driverless car prototypes and Automotive ECU (Electronic Control Units).

Competitive Players

1. Velodyne Lidar, Inc. (US
2. Ouster, Inc. (US)
3. Luminar Technologies, Inc. (US)
4. Innoviz Technologies Ltd. (Israel)
5. Hesai Technology Co., Ltd. (China)
6. RoboSense (Suteng Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.(China)
7. Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH (Germany)
8. LeddarTech Inc. (Canada)
9. Quanergy Systems, Inc. (US)
10. Blickfeld GmbH (Germany)
11. Aeva Technologies, Inc. (US)
12. Xenomatix (Belgium)
13. Cepton Technologies, Inc. (US)
14. Livox Technology Limited (China)
15. Benewake (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (China)

Recent Developments

• April 2024- Innoviz, another major player in the LiDAR market, announced the commencement of mass production for its InnovizOne solid-state LiDAR. This marks a crucial step in bringing this technology to a wider audience. Mass production signifies a company's ability to manufacture its LiDAR system at scale, paving the way for wider adoption and potentially driving down costs. This development by Innoviz indicates a potential acceleration in the availability of solid-state LiDAR solutions for various applications.
• May 2024- Lumotive and Hokuyo Automatic have jointly announced the official launch of the YLM-10LX 3D lidar sensor, which utilizes advanced optical semiconductor technology. This innovative solution, utilizing Lumotive's Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) optical beamforming technology, signifies a significant advancement in the implementation of solid-state, programmable optics to revolutionize 3D sensing in industrial automation and service robotics applications.

Segmentation

1. By Type
   1. MEMS-Based Scanning
   2. Optical Phased Arrays
   3. Flash LiDAR
2. By Application
   1. Intelligent Machine Vision and Robotics
   2. Assisted Surgery
   3. Air Quality Monitoring
   4. Aerial Drones
   5. Autonomous Vehicles
   6. Automation of Factory Robots