Continental Expands Lidar Portfolio Through AEye Investment

Automotive company Continental signed an agreement for a minority investment in California-based lidar and artificial perception company AEye. The companies will jointly develop a high-performance long-range lidar sensor based on AEye’s 1550-nm agile architecture, which uses a feedback-controlled (MEMS) scanner combined with an amplifiable 1550-nm laser.

The existing technology can be software configured and optimized for vehicles and other applications. It is also able to detect small low-reflective objects, such as bricks, at a distance of 160 m, vehicles at a distance of more than 300 m, and pedestrians at a distance of more than 200 m.

Continental will industrialize the sensor, with the first series production currently scheduled for the end of 2024.

In partnering with AEye, Continental complements its existing short-range 3D Flash LiDAR technology, which goes into series production later this year, the company said in a release. The technology supports highly automated driving in a global premium vehicle program.