SiLC Technologies raises $12 million for long-range lidar sensors
Summary
Those advantages — along with the velocity, light polarization, reflectivity, and other vectors that the 4D+ Vision Chip measures — could be a boon for startups developing autonomous cars, which require sensors to detect potential obstacles up to 200 meters away. Our 4D+ Vision Chip technology will not only make lidar a commercial reality, but will also enable applications ranging from robotics to AR/VR to biometric scanning.” SiLC’s single-chip optical engine incorporates both lasers and detector components, and it operates at the 1550nm wavelength — the same wavelength used by a prototype demoed by lidar startup Luminar in July 2017. ) The fully integrated, frequency-modulated continuous wave sensor taps second-generation silicon photonics to scan its surroundings, enabling it to detect objects smaller than one-and-a-half inches at a range of 200 meters (which translates to a resolution of about 0.01 degrees vertically and horizontally). “Integrating all essential functions necessary to build a … chip on a cost-effective silicon platform represents the holy grail of lidar,” said Dell Technologies Capital managing director Daniel Docter, an investor. That’s not to mention far-infrared pioneer AdaSky, ground-penetrating radar startup WaveSense, and velocity-measuring sensor company Aeva, all three of which seek to develop technologies that complement traditional vision-based autonomous car perception systems.