Vovlo Cars will introduce the latest LiDAR technology to new car platform for self-driving

Volvo Cars, the Sweden-based auto maker now owned by Geely Holding of China, announced recently that it has made a deal with the Silicon Valley-based lidar sensor specialist Luminar to integrate its latest LiDAR technology in its new car platform, SPA 2.

The said modular vehicle architecture will be available as hardware-ready for for autonomous drive from production start in 2022.

Lidar sensors use laser light pulses to show precise images of the environment around the car, more and more auto makers will use them to enable higher levels of driver assistance right up to making them capable of self-driving.

Volvo also adopts the Highway Pilot feature that enables fully autonomous  driving on highway when safe conditions are available. Luminar’s perception technology will be combined with autonomous drive software and the cameras, radars and back-up systems for functions such as steering, braking and battery power installed on coming Volvo cars equipped for self-driving. Drivers can analyze the details provided by the LiDAR technology and activate the self-driving function.

The lidar and the highway pilot feature will start as an addtional choice  for Volvo buyers and be worked on step by step depending on local regulations.

Besides the Highway Pilot feature, Volvo Cars and Luminar are also developing LiDAR role to improve future advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), for the purpose of equipping all future SPA2-based cars with a LiDAR sensor as standard kit.

A great opportunity sees the market for automotive LiDAR applications covering Robo-taxi and autonomous bus.LiDAR has the advantages of long-range detection and high-depth resolution, for this reason,  LiDAR technology is regarded as the necessary sensor to achieve the autonomous driving L4 and L5.