ams and Ibeo progress in bringing solid-state LiDAR technology to the automotive market

• ams and Ibeo have made significant progress on bringing solid-state LiDAR technology for advanced driver assistance systems and autonomous driving to the market
• Working samples will soon be delivered to customers globally
• The companies are on the road to success in delivering best-in-class performance for mass production in 2022

ams (SIX: AMS), a leading worldwide supplier of high performance sensor solutions, and Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH, the German specialist and the global technology leader for automotive LiDAR sensor technology and the associated software, announce that they have made committed progress in bringing to market solid-state LiDAR technology for autonomous driving. ams and Ibeo began joint LiDAR development in 2018 on ibeoNext Solid State LiDAR. Their aim is to provide solid-state LiDAR to the automotive market for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), moving towards autonomous driving adoption. The companies are successfully developing the industry-first true solid-state LiDAR sensor. In October 2020, Ibeo will start delivering samples to customers globally, putting the companies solidly on the path to deliver best-in-class performance for mass LiDAR production in 2022. This will enable for massive solid-state LiDAR deployment in the automotive segment.

“Our leading products are used by automotive companies in Europe and worldwide. We are happy to announce that our cooperation with ams has resulted in the first samples that we can now supply to the global market. Ibeo and ams will continue to cooperate on key LiDAR technology for the automotive market, targeting mass-market availability in 2022,” said Dr. Ulrich Lages, CEO, Ibeo
Automotive Systems.

“Through our focus on differentiating technology, the ams and Ibeo partnership is forged to continue to bring advanced solutions to customers which meet the reliability and safety standards of the automotive industry, paving the way for mass-market introduction in the next few years,” said Pascal Philippon, Senior Vice President of EMEA Sales and Marketing, ams.

LiDAR systems emit laser pulses and then evaluate the light reflected from various objects. From the so-called time-of-flight – or the time it takes for the reflected laser pulse to reach the sensor again – software calculates the distance to the surrounding objects. Modern LiDAR systems can process many laser pulses in parallel: The result is a 3D model of the environment that recognizes crash barriers and road markings as well as cars, cyclists and pedestrians, their position and movement. In combination with a long range and a high spatial resolution, this accuracy is a key advantage of LiDAR technology. Unlike other LiDARs, the solid-state solution means no moving beam-steering mechanism, such as mechanical or MEMS mirrors. This brings significant benefits in terms of reliability and complexity.

ams is a leader in developing and supplying advanced VCSEL technology with the highest power density in the market. The company´s high-power VCSELs can differentiate in scan and flash applications because they are less sensitive to individual emitter failures, are more stable in temperature ranges, and are easy to integrate. The ams VCSEL is able to form emitter arrays, which makes VCSELs easy to scale. ams technology also allows for addressability, or powering selective zones of the die. This enables True Solid State topology. In addition, ams R&D provides enhancements around integrated functional-safety standard and eye-safety features, leading to a highly robust technology.

Ibeo´s flagship ibeoNEXT takes the company´s technology leadership in LiDAR sensor technology further. The ibeoNEXT Solid State LiDAR offers best-in-class extensive detection range, high resolution, and large vertical angle. Through coupling Ibeo expertise in both software and technology, Ibeo´s solid-state LiDAR sensor is a milestone on the road to fully automated driving.

For more information about ams solid-state LiDAR illumination solutions, please go to https://ams.com/lidar.

About ams

ams is a global leader in the design and manufacture of advanced sensor solutions. Our mission is to shape the world with sensor solutions by providing a seamless interface between humans and technology.

ams’ high-performance sensor solutions drive applications requiring small form factor, low power, highest sensitivity and multi-sensor integration. Products include sensor solutions, sensor ICs, interfaces and related software for consumer, communications, industrial, medical, and automotive markets.

With headquarters in Austria, ams employs around 9,000 people globally and serves more than 8,000 customers worldwide. ams is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (ticker symbol: AMS). More information about ams can be found at https://ams.com

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ams is a registered trademark of ams AG. In addition many of our products and services are registered or filed trademarks of ams Group. All other company or product names mentioned herein may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.

About Ibeo

Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH has established itself as a global technology leader for LiDAR sensors (English acronym for Light Detection And Ranging) and the associated products and software tools. This technology is used as an assistance system in cars and in the field of autonomous driving. It is Ibeo’s goal to reinvent mobility by enabling cars to become cooperative partners in the driving process, thus making transportation safer. Ibeo employs a total of over 400 people at its Hamburg, Eindhoven (Netherlands), and Detroit (USA) sites.

Since 2016, the automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen AG has held a 40 percent share in Ibeo: initially via Zukunft Ventures GmbH, and since 2019 via ZF Automotive Germany GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of ZF. Ibeo celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018.

For further information, visit www.ibeo-as.com.