Dublin, Feb. 15, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "Automotive LiDAR Industry Report, 2023" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.
So, where is the future of LiDAR?
Chip localization makes wide adoption of LiDARs in prospect.
From the perspective of system structure, LiDAR chips mainly include transmitter IC, receiver IC and information processor. After years of development, Chinese transmitter VCSEL chips have entered a mature mass production phase, but receiver SPAD chips are monopolized by Sony and ON Semiconductor among others. Chinese SPAD chip companies, including Fortsense, Sophoton, VisionICs Microelectronics Technology, and ADAPS, thus work harder on technology development, having made new breakthroughs.
In August 2023, Fortsense released FL6031, an all-solid-state LiDAR area array SPAD chip which adopts the Stacked-BSI process. This product integrates a 360150 SPAD pixel array with over 50k effective pixels, meeting automotive application requirements. Based on FL6031, Suzhou Photon-Matrix Optoelectronics Technology and Wuhan VanJee Optoelectronics Technology have completed the demo development of all-solid-state LiDARs.
The information processor, namely, LiDAR master chip, is mainly FPGA for time sequence control, waveform algorithm processing, and other functional modules control. The typical vendors are Xilinx and Altera. The FPGA chips for automotive LiDAR products of RoboSense, Innovusion, and DJI all come from Xilinx.
In September 2023, NIO introduced its self-developed LiDAR master chip 'Yang Jian' (chip model: NX6031). The chip packs eight 9-bit analog-to-digital (AD) samples, and delivers sampling frequency of up to 1GHz per channel, allowing for efficient capture of laser echo signals. Mass production is scheduled in October 2023.
NIO says that its purpose of self-developing chips is 'gross profit' and it hopes to exchange recent R&D investment for long-term gross profit. This chip can save hundreds of yuan. In the future, the mass production and application of 'Yang Jian' is expected to drag down the cost of LiDAR.
Overall, LiDAR is at a critical moment when it faces survival and profit on one hand, and cost reduction and mass adoption on the other. Both OEMs and suppliers are going through a white war. Who win and who lose will probably be known in a few years.
Why is Hesai so far ahead and what is its core strength? Its CEO Li Yifan believes that independent development of chips is Hesai's competitive edge.
In late 2017, Hesai established a chip department to develop laser driver ICs, analog front-end ICs, digital ICs, and SoCs. It now has completed V1.0, V1.5, V2.0, and V3.0 LiDAR chip architectures, and is developing V4.0, which will be available to the next-generation LiDAR products in 2026.
RoboSense: It has built three major LiDAR platforms - M Platform (semi-solid state), E Platform (solid state) and R Platform (mechanical), and is designing and developing next-generation LiDAR platform - F Platform. The M Platform is oriented to ADAS and is based on 2D MEMS galvanometers, with products including M1, M1P and M2.
In March 2023, RoboSense said that it had received OEM mass production designation expected orders for its front LiDAR M1 for 52 vehicle models from 21 automotive automakers and Tier 1 suppliers.
Currently RoboSense has improved its delivery capacity by way of establishing a joint venture (Luxsense, a joint venture co-funded with Luxshare) and self-building production lines (Honghualing and Shiyan factories in Shenzhen). Wherein, the investment in the Phase I of the Luxsense-centric Intelligent Manufacturing Cluster of RoboSense exceeded RMB1 billion, involving construction of nearly 20 automatic production lines with annual capacity of 1 million units and efficiency of 'producing one LiDAR every 12 seconds'.
In addition to local companies, foreign companies like Luminar and Valeo have also quickened their deployment pace in Chinese market. For example, in April 2023 Luminar announced a partnership with TPK to build and operate an additional high-volume LiDAR factory in China. At the first stage, the new factory will be capable of producing up to 600,000 Luminar LiDAR sensors annually to meet increasing market demand. Of the now more than 20 production vehicle models Luminar is designed into, the majority including Rising R7, Volvo EX90 Excellence and Polestar 3 are also slated for the China market.
Solid-state gap filler LiDAR comes as a new track.
When automakers still consider whether to install LiDAR and how many to install, solid-state gap filler LiDAR has 'come out of the blue.'
Later Hesai Technology, RoboSense, Zvision, and Innovusion introduced their gap filler LiDAR as well, all of which are scheduled to be marketed in 2023.
Large FOV is the key to gap filler LiDAR, especially vertical FOV.
RoboSense's gap filler LiDAR RS-LiDAR-E1 offers a horizontal FOV of 120, and a vertical FOV of 90, with the perception range covering both ground blind spots and side view. 2 E1 LiDARs plus 1 120 FOV main LiDAR provides 360 view coverage. RoboSense believes that a vertical FOV smaller than 90 easily leads to a risk of insufficient perception range.
With regard to the progress in installation in vehicles, Hesai Technology's gap filler LiDAR FT120 is the first to be implemented. In August 2023, Polestones 01 was launched on market. This car packs 3 Hesai LiDARs including 1 AT128 front + 2 FT120 side LiDARs, becoming China's first model carrying solid-state gap filler LiDARs.
Although gap filler LiDAR costs much less than front LiDAR, it is still more expensive than gap filler sensors such as camera/radar. Moreover, a vehicle generally needs multiple gap filler LiDARs, which is bound to push up the cost. Therefore the wide adoption of gap filler LiDARs in vehicles will take some time.
From outside to inside the cabin, LiDAR makes a new leap.
In April 2023, Hesai released ET25, an automotive-grade ultrathin long-range LiDAR which is specially designed to be placed behind the front windshield. With only 25mm in thickness (AT128 is 48mm), this product features 120x25 FOV, ranging without the windshield behind the windshield), the minimum resolution of 0.05x0.05, and power consumption of just 12W.
It is worth noting that ET25 uses a 905nm solution, almost on a par with 1550nm solutions. This is mainly credited to Hesai's new-generation transceiver chip with sensitivity several times higher than the previous generation. Li Yifan, CEO of Hesai, says that it is very difficult to miniaturize products without affecting core performance, and this requires extremely excellent semiconductor technology, which is high core strength.'
In September 2023, Hesai and FAW built designation cooperation. The next-generation flagship all-electric models under Hongqi brand will be the first to use Hesai's ET25 LiDAR. The result of the cooperation is expected to be mass-produced and delivered in the first half of 2025.
In addition to Hesai, Innovusion's Robin-E also meets the requirements of "entry into cabins'. Innovusion has formed strategic partnerships with Fuyao Glass and AGC's subsidiary Wideye, initially realizing the integration of LiDAR and front windshield. Bao Junwei, Innovusion's CEO, believes that the introduction of LiDAR into cabins is a trend, but it will not completely replace cabin front radar.
Key Topics Covered:
1 Overview of LiDAR
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Composition
1.3 Core Technologies
1.3.1 LiDAR Ranging Technology
1.3.2 LiDAR Transmitter Module Technology
1.3.3 LiDAR Scanning Module Technology
1.3.4 LiDAR Receiving Module Technology
1.3.5 LiDAR Control Module Technology
1.3.6 Comparison of LiDAR Technologies
1.4 Major Technical Parameters
1.5 LiDAR Industry Chain
1.6 Vehicle LiDAR Application Scenarios and Requirements
2 Chinese LiDAR Market and Trends
2.1 Installation
2.1.1 LiDAR enters the stage of Mass Production
2.1.2 Comparison of Domestic ADAS LiDAR Installation Solution
2.1.3 Comparison of Foreign ADAS LiDAR Installation Solution
2.1.4 Domestic Passenger Car LiDAR Installation
2.1.5 Domestic Passenger Car LiDAR Installation: by Brand/Model
2.1.6 Domestic Passenger Car LiDAR Installation: by Manufacturer type/Price
2.1.7 Domestic Passenger Car LiDAR Installation: by ADAS level/Supplier
2.2 Main Suppliers
2.2.1 Comparison of Layout of Major Domestic Suppliers
2.2.2 Comparison of LiDAR products of Major Domestic Suppliers
2.2.3 Financing of of Major Domestic Suppliers
2.2.4 Comparison Major Foreign LiDAR Suppliers
2.2.5 Market Share of LiDAR Suppliers
2.3 Development Trends and Challenges
3 Models Equipped with LiDAR in China
3.1 XPeng Motors
3.2 NIO
3.3 Li Auto
3.4 IM
3.5 HiPhi
3.6 Aion
3.7 Geely
3.8 Great Wall Motors
3.9 BYD
3.10 AITO
3.11 RISING AUTO
3.12 Other
4 Chinese Automotive LiDAR Suppliers
4.1 HESAI
4.2 RoboSense
4.3 Innovusion
4.4 Huawei
4.5 Livox
4.6 LeiShen Intelligent System
4.7 VanJee Technology
4.8 LiangDao Intelligence
4.9 Zvision
4.10 Benewake
4.11 SureStar
4.12 Tanway
4.13 Litra Technology
4.14 Lorentech
4.15 RichBeam (formerly known as Yinbing Technology)
4.16 LuminWave
4.17 Xuanguang Semiconductor
4.18 Beijing Guangmiao Technology
4.19 GENIUS PROS
4.20 Deepwater Optoelectronics
4.21 Oradar Technology
4.22 O-Net
4.23 Rayz Technologies
4.24 Senfoto
4.25 Liturex (Guangzhou) Co.Ltd
5 Foreign Automotive LiDAR Suppliers
5.1 Luminar
5.2 Innoviz
5.3 Aeva
5.4 Ouster
5.5 Valeo
5.6 AEye
5.7 Cepton
5.8 Blickfeld
5.9 Mobileye
5.10 Xenomatix
5.11 Opsys
5.12 Baraja
5.13 SiLC Technologies
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qh76uc
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