A Hesai lidar sensor on top of a vehicle in Shenzhen, China, July 10, 2022.
Jade Gao | AFP | Getty Images
For investors in lidar startups, this has been a long time coming.
After years of talk — and a SPAC boom in the sensor sector — automakers have finally started incorporating lidar units into their vehicles. And many more lidar-equipped models are expected over the next few years.
Lidar, short for light detection and ranging, is a sensor technology that uses invisible lasers to create a detailed 3D map of the sensor’s surroundings. Lidar sensors are considered important components of nearly all autonomous-vehicle systems currently under development. They’re also finding increasing applications with advanced driver-assist systems as well as many other areas of robotics.
Playing into investors’ intense interest in self-driving technology, many lidar startups went public via mergers with special purpose acquisition companies, or SPACs, over the last few years. Valuations for those…
2023-08-18 11:08:30
Article from www.cnbc.com