General Motors has acquired lidar – light detection and radar – technology company Strobe.
As part of the deal, Strobe’s engineering talent will join GM’s Cruise Automation team to develop next-generation lidar solutions for self-driving vehicles.
Kyle Vogt, founder and CEO, Cruise Automation, says: “Strobe’s LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale.”
Lidar uses light to create high-resolution images that provide a more accurate view of the world than cameras or radar alone.
As self-driving technology continues to evolve, lidar’s accuracy will play a critical role in its deployment, says GM.
Julie Schoenfeld, founder and CEO, Strobe, says: “The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of lidar sensors.
“Strobe’s deep engineering talent and technology backed by numerous patents will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think.”
Last month, Cruise Automation revealed what GM claims is the world’s first mass-producible car designed with the redundancy and safety requirements necessary to operate without a driver.
The vehicle will join Cruise’s testing fleets in San Francisco, metropolitan Phoenix and Detroit.
