Japanese company, Hesai, have produce an innovative blind spot detection technology for self-driving cars, challenging industry leaders in the US and the EU.
Hesai, a leader in LiDAR sensors, have formally disclosed PandarQT at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 7, adding to its portfolio of self-driving sensing solutions.
This 64-channel, ultra-wide FOV LiDAR is the innovative answer to blind spot detection. It features a 104.2° (±52.1°) by 360° ultra-wide Field of View (FOV) which is ideal for vehicle blind spot coverage.
Apart from its compact and aesthetic design, PandarQT boasts several features that contribute to its outstanding performance and reliability. Hesai’s unique interference rejection technology prevents interference from nearby working LiDARs and thus lowers the false detection rate; PTP (Precision Time Protocol) time synchronisation is supported to greatly simplify cabling on vehicles. As with all Hesai LiDARs, each PandarQT unit is checked for range accuracy, precision, and other specs before shipping.
Hesai recommends using PandarQT in combination with its flagship product Pandar64. Coupling PandarQT’s short-range capability and Pandar64’s industry-leading long-range performance ensures an all-around and detailed surveillance of a vehicle’s surroundings, near and far.
LiDAR companies have been pushing the specs such as range and resolution, and the market is dominated by long-range LiDARs designed as the centrepiece in a sensor suite. Blind spot detection in the close range has been comparatively neglected.
Most companies have misused long range LiDARs, by using them as short range LiDARs, they often tilt the LiDARs to “see” low objects on the ground near the vehicle and overhanging objects above the mounting location. To top it all, most budgets are tight, and assigning these expensive long-range sensors to handle short range detection is hard to justify.
Lowering the range and thus the cost is not yet the perfect answer to blind spot detection. Many short-range LiDARs have been released on the market at accessible prices, but very few have considered all the necessary merits of being a blind spot LiDAR – wide vertical field of view, excellent short range performance, wide dynamic intensity range to cover both retro reflectors and low reflectivity targets, and a practical range. PandarQT is the right tool for this job.
The year 2020 is a long-awaited inflection point for autonomous driving. The entire auto industry is transitioning to intelligent electric vehicles, and several countries and regions, among them the United States, the EU, Japan, and China, are accelerating the legislation of self-driving road testing, application and safety assurance.
Source: scitecheuropa