Today, from 60 to 100 different sensors can be found on the average new car. Some pundits estimate that twice that many will be there within the next five years. If this occurs, the global auto industry will consume some 22 billion sensors annually by 2020.
Autonomous vehicles and subsets of self-driving cars are among the driving forces for adding more sensors. While the cost of such a system has been prohibitive except for research vehicles, costs are dropping dramatically. For example, Velodyne’s new LiDAR Puck, the VLP-16 achieves a 360° full-surround view and 30° vertical field of view at a price point of $7,999. The company developed the Puck primarily for mapping from unassisted aerial vehicles (UAVs) and other mobile platforms, but it has seen considerable interest from automotive industry OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. The current cost is about ten times of the $80,000 cost for the initial model HDL-64E that was displayed on Google’s self-driving car.
For more information about the VLP-16 sensor, click here.
Filed Under: Sensor Tips