GM: Acquisition Speeds Driverless Cars' Development
"The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of LIDAR sensors," said Julie Schoenfeld, founder and CEO of Strobe, Inc. "Strobe's deep engineering talent and technology, backed by numerous patents, will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think."
General Motors Co. announced this week it has acquired LIDAR technology company Strobe, Inc. and is adding Strobe's engineering talent to GM's Cruise Automation team to define and develop next-generation LIDAR solutions for self-driving vehicles. "Strobe's LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale," said Kyle Vogt, founder and CEO of Cruise Automation.
LIDAR technology uses light to create high-resolution images that provide a more accurate view of the world than cameras or radar alone. According to GM, as self-driving technology continues to evolve, LIDAR's accuracy will be critical in its deployment.
"The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of LIDAR sensors," said Julie Schoenfeld, founder and CEO of Strobe, Inc. "Strobe's deep engineering talent and technology, backed by numerous patents, will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think."
GM reported that last month, Cruise Automation unveiled the world's first mass-producible car designed with the redundancy and safety requirements necessary to operate without a driver. The vehicle will join Cruise's testing fleets in San Francisco, Phoenix, and Detroit.