Welcome to Tesla Motors Club
Discuss Tesla's Model S, Model 3, Model X, Model Y, Cybertruck, Roadster and More.
Register

Blog GM Acquires LIDAR Company for Self-Driving Efforts

This site may earn commission on affiliate links.
General Motors has acquired LIDAR technology company Strobe, Inc. to bolster the Cruise Automation team’s efforts to develop next-generation technology for self-driving vehicles.

“Strobe’s LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale,” Kyle Vogt, Founder and CEO of Cruise Automation, said in a release.

LIDAR works by firing millions of laser beams every second, and measuring how long they take to return after bouncing off objects. The system does not rely on ambient light, giving it the ability to distinguish an actual object from its shadow. Millions of data points are collected to to create high-resolution images. Many believe LIDAR’s accuracy will play a critical role in the development of driverless cars.

“The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of LIDAR sensors,” Julie Schoenfeld, Founder and CEO of Strobe said in a release. “Strobe’s deep engineering talent and technology backed by numerous patents will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think.”

So far, Tesla is taking a different approach, opting for a combination of cameras, radars and ultrasonic sensors to power the Autopilot system.


Musk also previously mentioned that cost is a factor in avoiding LIDAR, but the cost of the technology is coming down as companies like Strobe manage to manufacture affordable  LIDAR technology on a single chip. The rest of the industry has certainly endorsed LIDAR. The technology is at the center of the messy court case between Google self-driving spinoff Waymo, and Uber. Company’s like Audi and Volvo are also employing LIDAR for self-driving efforts.

 

 
Last edited by a moderator:
If Lidar becomes affordable Tesla will have no other choice but to use it
I think it entirely depends on how cheap it gets relative to radar. For example, if for the same price Tesla can get 360 degree surround radar, I'm pretty sure Tesla would rather spend the money on that. Note that even in this case lidar would have gotten well into the affordable range.
 
  • Disagree
Reactions: Snerruc
I think it entirely depends on how cheap it gets relative to radar. For example, if for the same price Tesla can get 360 degree surround radar, I'm pretty sure Tesla would rather spend the money on that. Note that even in this case lidar would have gotten well into the affordable range.
Lidar is usually paired with radar.

Radar is very low resolution and (from my understanding at least) only works with metallic objects. I can't see how that would make self driving feasible, even if it's 360 degrees. Would work in an airplane though.
 
Lidar is usually paired with radar.

Radar is very low resolution and (from my understanding at least) only works with metallic objects. I can't see how that would make self driving feasible, even if it's 360 degrees. Would work in an airplane though.
Just like how lidar isn't standing still, radar is also constantly improving. The 77Ghz band currently used is already as step up from previous 24 Ghz band. The next step is a 79 Ghz band which would be good enough to detect a person even as they are opening a car door to enter.
https://www.fujitsu.com/global/docu...ublications/fstj/archives/vol51-4/paper09.pdf

Radar definitely does not only work with metallic objects. People also return a radar signature which allows it to be used in pedestrian detection:
https://www.adv-radio-sci.net/10/45/2012/ars-10-45-2012.pdf
 
  • Informative
  • Like
Reactions: EinSV and xav-
Took this afternoon. Looks like the Strobe equipment on top. Not exactly sure this type of thing is going to be roof rack ready for a bit. :D Pretty interesting to see the direction GM is heading. See the Cadillacs around with the single topper Lidar I assume for Superdrive.
20171115_141218.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tam
Radar's benefit is that it can see through objects and is less dependent on clear weather compares to visual technologies (camera, lidar).

The benefit of lidar is very accurate detection and ranging of all kinds of objects and ability to do this also in darkness.

They all are really best at complementing each other...

Sure, some lesser mix can and will work, but the best probably is some 360 degree combo of all three.
 
Not exactly sure this type of thing is going to be roof rack ready for a bit.

You may have accidentally stumbled on the reason why Tesla does not like Lidar...

Falcon wings! :D

Seriously though, I find the five-six lower-level Lidars more likely in the production stage than rotating ones in top.

That said, the early ride sharing pioneers may well continue to use rotating roof Lidars. They have no need for aesthetics and all reason for maximum reliability as fast as possible...
 
Not exactly sure this type of thing is going to be roof rack ready for a bit.

Everyone's thinking on this does seem to be that LIDAR needs to be high up on the vehicle in order to benefit from the USP - scanning accuracy at distance.

1443640977jamesmiles.jpg


Not much point in knowing that you are +/-0.2cm from surrounding vehicles because that's all the system can see.

Will be interesting if they can shrink all of that down into the equivalent of Whispbars, but that may not be necessary. As AnxietyRanger points out, no one really minds how goofy a taxi or a delivery vehicle looks and as long as speeds remain low-ish, drag won't be a factor.
 
Everyone's thinking on this does seem to be that LIDAR needs to be high up on the vehicle in order to benefit from the USP - scanning accuracy at distance.

The same is true for cameras, of course. The higher up they are, the less likely they are obstructed by things on the sides. I would be very surprised to see anyone that tries to sell actual consumer cars using roof-mounted Lidars of the "ambulance" type, though. Not only is it large and ungainly, it is expensive and prone to mechanical issues. Mostcar Lidars will soon be small, solid-state objects like automotive radars and cameras, and then they can be designed into the car, not on the car...

It is true that many Silicon Valley/U.S. projects use very visible roof-mounted Lidars (and ride-sharing pioneers may well use them to get a quick start, looks are of no concern to them at this stage), but globally speaking the trend seems to be much more towards 4-5 Lidars placed on the sides of the car - when talking cars actually sold to consumers. Here for example is Nissan's idea - their side Lidar can e.g. be seen on the driver's door. The roof-rail block houses at least a camera.

nissan-self-driving-leaf.jpg
 
  • Helpful
Reactions: malcolm