Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SE€ (Unlocking LiDAR technology for European OEMS: For a future of smart and safe Traffic and Mobility)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-11-01 bis 2024-10-31
The SE€ project is about the development and manufacturing of a true solid state Lidar. The market requirements are challenging, low cost, high robustness, small formfactor and excellent measurement performance. Those market requirements come from automotive but also from harsh industrial environment in which solid state is a key requirement for robustness. The project currently has invented a novel solid state line projector and realized a breakthrough in the algorithm for 3D measurement contributing to the requirement of robustness and measurement performance. On the other hand working with a full semiconductor design and a design for manufacturing the cost of the lidar are kept low.
In the first year of the project focus has been given to elaborate the sytem design of the solid state Lidar. The aim of the system design was to achieve best measurement results for lowest cost, size and power consumption and with the lowest technical risk. This assessment lead to a game changing insight not to develop a custom imager but rely on a SPAD based technology resulting in better measurement performance and creating a lower total cost. Lowering the cost for development, lowering the cost for processing need (because of a simplified algorithm and no calibration needs) and eliminating the need for active alignment. This system design has been researched and led to a groundbraking solid state scanning project and a novel algorithm dealing in a unique way with reflectors in the field of view. This system design, to further derisk was validated in different test setups. Next to the system design the work has resulted in process designs for assembly and production. A process has been elaborated for the assembly with high efficiency reducing assembly and calibration steps to minimum. Traceability, iqc processes have been elaborated and process setups have been built. In order to make assemblies, sourcing and suppliers have been selected based on the system design. In the wp project management and communciation/dissimination has been organized. The project team is composed out of technical leads and complimented with key stakeholders representing the VoC (voice of the customer). Finally work has been done on developping processing for hw, sw and production organisation with high quality. For each of the categories processes have been drafted and tools have been selected.
In the second year of the project, all desinged parts have been validated at unit level, at subassembly level and up to integration level. The Lidar has been fully assembled based on the design parts to eventually do performance testing and validated its intended function. Based on those tests we can say that the performance targets of range, accuracy and precision are met for the Lidar. As the project is fully based on the V-cycel development we can say that the 2nd year was mainly focussing on the upward leg of the V-cycle meaning testing and validation of the different specifications, requirements and functions.
In the second year of the project, all desinged parts have been validated at unit level, at subassembly level and up to integration level. The Lidar has been fully assembled based on the design parts to eventually do performance testing and validated its intended function. Based on those tests we can say that the performance targets of range, accuracy and precision are met for the Lidar. As the project is fully based on the V-cycel development we can say that the 2nd year was mainly focussing on the upward leg of the V-cycle meaning testing and validation of the different specifications, requirements and functions.
During the system design phase XenomatiX technical team realised some breakthroughs beyond the state of the art. One is the invention of a solid state line scanning projector allowing to use SPAD technology and dToF as an algorithm. This definitely leads to a USP for the product. Next to this novel projector XenomatiX technical team succeeded to deal with reflectors in the field of view. Not only the XenomatiX lidar can detect reflectors but the algorithm is not obstructed by straylight of the reflector and clearly sees other objects in the vicinity of the reflector.
Additionnaly we have developped a Lidar that can have its own embedded applications, which is also a USP for the product. This makes it especially appropriate for in the field applications not requiring additional computing power.
Additionnaly we have developped a Lidar that can have its own embedded applications, which is also a USP for the product. This makes it especially appropriate for in the field applications not requiring additional computing power.