Aeva Demonstrates Vision For Future Of Passenger Vehicle Autonomy With Its Latest Atlas Ultra LiDAR Sensor, New and Expanded Partnerships

Aeva Technologies Inc. AEVA, the maker of Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) 4D LiDAR technology, is helping make safe, self-driving passenger and commercial vehicles a reality with the unveiling of its latest LiDAR sensor, Atlas Ultra. Announced at CES – the annual trade show organized by the Consumer Technology Association, which has dubbed it "the most powerful tech event in the world" – Atlas Ultra was built to meet the performance demands of SAE Level 3 and 4 automated driving systems and especially for seamless integration in passenger cars and commercial vehicles. 

According to the sensor maker, Atlas Ultra provides up to three times the resolution of its standard Atlas product and has the capability to expand its configurable field of view to up to 150 degrees of vision across the horizon. Importantly, on-sensor perception software, which is also enabled on its Atlas line of products, provides unique detection capabilities at a maximum detection range of up to 500 meters.   

"Over the past few years, Aeva's pioneering industrialization of 4D LiDAR coupled with our production programs and ongoing engagements with multiple top global automotive OEMs has converged on the highly versatile Atlas Ultra product," said Mina Rezk, Co-Founder and CTO at Aeva. "We believe Atlas Ultra, along with its critical on-sensor perception and localization offering, provides a competitive edge for passenger and commercial vehicle OEMs looking to introduce highway speed functionality without compromise."

Aeva says its Atlas product line delivers on critical requirements for highway-speed autonomous driving, especially in passenger vehicles, by enabling clear perception across a wide variety of everyday driving scenarios. That's because it is immune to interference from direct sunlight and signals from other LiDAR sensors. 

This enables Aeva's LiDARs to detect small objects in roadways and accurately tell the difference between retro reflective lane markers and non-drivable road hazards, such as a small brick or tire fragments, at distances of up to 150 meters. The sensor can also detect and track the position and velocity of all dynamic objects with centimeter accuracy at up to twice the distance of conventional 3D time-of-flight LiDAR sensors and instantaneously detects dynamic objects that suddenly appear even while remaining partially obstructed, reports Aeva, which provides OEMs added confidence to enable autonomous features at highway speeds.

Aeva's perception features also leverage AI to enable the vehicles to detect, classify and track static and dynamic objects, including vulnerable road users (VRUs) such as pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, as well as a large range of vehicle classifications, including passenger cars, trucks, buses and emergency vehicles. All of these capabilities are made possible thanks to the company's custom silicon, which includes the Aeva CoreVision™ Lidar-on-Chip module and the Aeva X1™ System-on-Chip processor.

Company Reports Demonstrating Industry-First Functional LiDAR Behind Windshield Enables Seamless Vehicle Design 

In addition to making self-driving vehicles safer, with a 35% slimmer profile, Aeva says Atlas Ultra can be seamlessly embedded behind the windshield or in the roofline of passenger cars with minimal impact on vehicle design styling and aerodynamics, and that it's the first of its kind in the industry. That means the aesthetics of the self-driving cars of the future won't be compromised because of unsightly sensors. 

At Aeva's booth at CES, the LiDAR maker, together with Wideye, a division of AGC Group specializing in cutting-edge glass solutions for optical sensor integration, introduced a passenger vehicle with what they said is the industry's first functional FMCW in-cabin 4D LiDAR solution for passenger vehicles. The passenger vehicle demonstrated live point-cloud from Aeva's 4D LiDAR behind the windshield throughout the show. The integration of the Aeva Atlas 4D LiDAR sensor behind the windshield showcased the ability to combine the benefits of a high mounting position for enhanced long-range sensing with minimal impact on vehicle design and aerodynamics, reports Aeva.  

Placing the LiDAR sensor behind the windshield protects it from external elements and allows for easy cleaning of potential obstructions. Inside the cabin, the compact housing ensures road visibility while the sensor's low power consumption and passive cooling support a quiet cabin and passenger comfort, reports Aeva. In addition to showing off its tech prowess, the companies said the demo provides OEMs with a solution that they have been seeking. "Placing the LiDAR behind Wideye windshield with other in-cabin optical sensors meets the stringent demands for next-generation vehicle autonomy without compromising on vehicle design," said Gaetan Friart, CEO at Wideye by AGC.

Deepening Relationship With Daimler Truck And Torc, With Production Timelines On Track 

In addition to launching a new LiDAR sensor and demonstrating its tech capabilities at CES, Aeva announced it expanded its partnership with Torc Robotics, an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG and a player in commercializing self-driving vehicle technology. Under the new deal, the two will work together to develop a new safety architecture for truck applications – enabling autonomous trucks to make safer, more intelligent decisions, report the companies. The companies will share 4D LiDAR sensing data and a Freightliner Cascadia vehicle platform for use in long-range sensing applications. The data captured will support deeper collaboration between global engineering teams at both companies, reports Aeva. 

"Aeva is pioneering the next generation of 4D LiDAR technology and we're excited to enter a new phase of our collaboration to continue to position us as industry leaders in autonomous driving technology for production deployment at scale," said Peter Vaughan Schmidt, Torc CEO.

The collaboration builds on the production agreement signed early last year when Daimler Truck, the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, selected Aeva as its exclusive long-range LiDAR sensors provider for its production Freightliner Cascadia autonomous truck platform. During a fireside chat at this year's CES, Daimler Truck reiterated their timeline to bring to market autonomous trucks by 2027 with plans to scale to tens of thousands of trucks, with each truck being equipped with multiple Aeva 4D LiDARs for 360˚ view coverage surrounding the vehicle. 

Self-driving passenger and commercial vehicles are no longer a pipe dream. They are becoming a reality thanks to advanced technology like Aeva's LiDAR sensors, which act as the eyes and provide the surround view perception for vehicles on the road. With Atlas Ultra and new and expanded partnerships, Aeva is positioning itself to be a key player in the burgeoning automation industry. To learn more about Aeva and its latest LiDAR sensor, click here. 

Featured photo courtesy of Aeva Technologies.

This post contains sponsored content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice.