Hella, AEye to extend perception solutions collaboration for ADAS, automated driving

Automotive lighting and electronics supplier Hella is to extend its strategic partnership with AEye, a forerunner in artificial perception systems and the developer of iDAR. The companies are working to deliver customised sensing and perception solutions for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving (AD) based on AEye’s iDAR technology.

AEye’s iDAR artificial perception system leads the industry in range and scan rate performance for automotive-grade LiDAR. iDAR is a new form of intelligent data collection that fuses 1550 nanometer (nm), solid-state agile LiDAR with a low-light HD camera and embedded AI to intelligently capture data at the sensor level. Hella will bring its high competence in the field of embedded software and image processing as well as its automotive experience and industrialisation capabilities along the entire supply chain, to leverage and extend this platform. This joint development effort aims to bring best-in-class Level 3 ADAS solutions to global automotive OEMs. AEye and Hella have demonstrated the first results of their already existing cooperation at CES 2019 in Las Vegas, 8 to 11January 2019.

“Hella is an ideal strategic partner for AEye as we look to ramp production capabilities to meet the demand of our OEM partners,” said Blair LaCorte, president of AEye. “Hella has an excellent track record working with automotive OEMs, and I anticipate great synergies as we look to roll out next generation perception capabilities that meet their needs both today, and in the future.”

Frank Petznick, responsible for automated driving at Hella, says: “Hella is actively promoting the trend towards AD. The collaboration with AEye will provide us with additional opportunities to catalyse new functionality for ADAS and AD solutions that will redefine performance.”

In December, Hella Ventures became a major shareholder of AEye as part of its $40 million Series B round of financing. The first joint development project will start immediately, with the objective of a SOP in 2022.