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Innoviz Technologies’ new groundbreaking 360 degree lidar sensor that works on a single beam
Written by Kfir Kedem – January 10, 2022
Reviewed by Asaf Kedem
Innoviz Technologies has been impressing the industry with innovations in lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors for a few years. Giants such as BMW have taken interest in the sensors and will be using them for new production vehicles. Initially developing sensors that utilize a single laser beam, rather than complex rotating devices that use multiple, Innoviz has now developed a sensor that gives the vehicle a 360 degree view of its surroundings using only a single laser.
This product is called the Innoviz360 and was announced at CES 2022. Traditional lidar sensors (even ones that use more than a single laser) only have a horizontal field of view of 120 degrees. Innoviz took its existing technology and mounted a rotating mirror onto it. The result is an extremely lightweight extension to the sensor that is able to gain more visibility through a single laser. In fact, the company claims that it is so precise that it can create point clouds that look almost like photographs. By using a mirror rather than rotating the sensor itself, Innoviz is able to save on a lot of weight which ends up reducing friction dramatically and preventing wear.
Auto Trendy’s take:
Amazing development by Innoviz Technologies. Yet again releasing vehicle “vision” technology that is more efficient and effective than what is currently on the market. With developments like these, it is no surprise that the company is making headlines and getting clients such as BMW. With more and more vehicles needing such sensors, it would be interesting to see who Innoviz’ other partners will be and which ones would be using the 360 degree sensors.
