AEye's True Color LiDAR, where pixels (2D RGB) are instantaneously overlaid on every voxel (3D points in space). Credit: Business Wire.

US-based company AEye has introduced Intelligent Detection and Ranging (iDAR) technology, a new form of intelligent data collection that enables rapid, dynamic perception and path planning for autonomous vehicles.

Expected to improve the vehicles’ safety and performance at a reduced cost, iDAR combines agile MOEMS LiDAR, pre-fused with a low-light camera and embedded artificial intelligence to dynamically adapt to real-time demands.

The technology is expected to provide better accuracy, real-time information and longer range to optimise path planning software.

AEye founder and CEO Luis Dussan said: “AEye’s unique architecture has allowed us to address many of the fundamental limitations of first-generation spinning or raster scanning LiDAR technologies.

“These first-generation systems silo sensors and use rigid asymmetrical data collection that either oversample or undersample information.

“These first-generation systems silo sensors and use rigid asymmetrical data collection that either oversample or undersample information.”

“This dynamic exposes an inherent trade-off between density and latency in legacy sensors, which restricts or eliminates the ability to do intelligent sensing.”

iDAR can prioritise and interrogate co-located pixels (2D) and voxels (3D) within a frame and will be able to identify objects within a scene.

It is also competent of overlaying 2D images on 3D point clouds for the creation of True Color LiDAR.

AEye has also announced the iDAR Development Partner Program for OEM customers, Tier 1 partners and universities, through which interested parties can integrate iDAR into their vehicles.

In September this year, AEye demonstrated the first 360°, vehicle-mounted, solid-state LiDAR system with ranges up to 300m at high resolution.