LAS VEGAS — Valeo unveiled a third-generation, long-range scanning lidar during last week's CES that can "detect objects invisible to the human eye, cameras and radar" at distances of more than 650 feet. It also can enable self-driving at speeds of up to 80 mph.
The French supplier said the technology will appear on the market in 2024.
The company also debuted a near-field lidar system it says will create a 360-degree view of nearby objects and hazards, including those concealed by the vehicle's blind spots.
"It creates a safety cocoon for driverless cars such as robotaxis, shuttles and droids," Christophe Perillat, Valeo deputy CEO, said during a virtual press conference at CES, where the company also showed off a new infotainment display, a 37-pound electric motorcycle and a new COVID-19 detection system developed using the same technology as driver-monitoring systems in vehicles.
Valeo has invested heavily in its lidar offerings in recent years as automakers look to use the technology, along with radar and cameras, to enable autonomous driving and advanced safety systems. The company is one of the industry's largest suppliers of lidar, which scans the road ahead with laser pulses to create a detailed image map for self-driving and advanced driver-assistance systems.