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Luminar, a leading LiDAR technology maker, has partnered with Mercedes-Benz to enhance safety features in their technology. They have introduced automated emergency steering, which allows the vehicle to take over from the driver to avoid crashes.
LiDAR, which stands for Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses pulsed laser light to measure distance. It can identify obstacles such as pedestrians, which is crucial for self-driving cars and other vehicles.
Luminar is expanding its collaboration with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team, integrating its LiDAR technology into the Official FIA F1 Safety Car. This high-speed technology will improve the car’s ability to detect both stationary and moving objects under various conditions. The integration involves placing the LiDAR technology into the roofline of the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series.
At CES 2024, Luminar demonstrated its Automatic Emergency Steering (AES) system, powered by the new Iris+ LiDAR, through live crash avoidance tests. Iris+ offers enhanced Proactive Safety, providing quicker and more accurate detection capabilities than current camera and radar-based systems. AES can prevent high-speed collisions without driver intervention.
Luminar has made significant advancements in their semiconductor chips, creating six iterations for their LiDAR systems since the establishment of their Luminar Semiconductor division in Q2 2023. This division includes Optogration, Freedom Photonics, and Black Forest Engineering, which support rapid innovation and customization essential for large-scale deployment in the automotive industry.
Luminar successfully completed Run at Rate production tests for Volvo Cars’ EX90 in Monterrey, Mexico, in Q3 2023, confirming their capability to produce LiDAR sensors at scale. This is a vital step in preparing for vehicle integration.
Beyond passenger cars, Luminar is extending its LiDAR sensors to trucks. They are partnering with Kodiak Robotics and Gatik for long-haul and middle-mile logistics. Luminar is the chosen long-range LiDAR provider for Kodiak Robotics’ Gen 6 autonomous truck and has agreements with Gatik to standardize technology across their delivery fleets.
Luminar is also working with Nvidia on advanced driving platforms to enhance safety and automation in vehicles. These partnerships include Volvo EX90, Polestar 3, Kodiak Robotics, and Plus’ autonomous trucks, and several Mercedes-Benz production vehicle lines.
The CES exhibition will feature vehicles equipped with Luminar’s crash avoidance technology, such as the Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series F1 Safety Car, Polestar 3, Kodiak Robotics’ Gen 6 autonomous truck, Plus’ autonomous truck, and Gatik’s truck outfitted with Luminar LiDAR. Luminar has partnerships with over 50 industry leaders.
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