Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - November 2021 - 10

Sensors
OpSys Tech's Sunil Kamath works with a " version 2.5 " prototype of the company's solid-state lidar modules.
the solid-state advantages of flash lidar with the range
and resolution of mechanical-sweep or oscillating
micro-electronic mirrors (MEMs), all in one sensor.
The principals behind OpSys boast extensive laser
and optics design expertise, having come from global
optical-comm supplier Finisar. Their claims related to
product performance are intriguing: While other lidar
technologies sport either long range, high resolutions
or fast scanning rates, OpSys said it delivers all three
attributes in all operating conditions.
" We will have Opsys Tech's automotive-qualifiable
Scanning Microflash Lidar unit ready during the
first calendar-year quarter of 2022, " said Opsys Tech
Chairman Eitan Gertel. " It usually takes one to 1.5
years for automakers to then get that ready for production.
Given that timing, we expect Opsys Tech lidar
units to be available in vehicles in 2023. "
Leveraging existing tech
Extensive integration and recently scaled smartphone
technology is leading OpSys to a host of claims for
SML. The mass-produced cost per module is less than
$200. Range is four times that of flash lidar (>200meter
field of view (FOV). Resolution, at 0.1° x 0.1°,
is claimed to be best in class. And the SML can scan
at 300,000 points/s, per sensor, per module (16 scans/
pixel average within the FOV @ 30 frames per second
(FPS)). OpSys also states that its SMLs are 30 times
10 November 2021
faster than mechanical-sweep or oscillating-mirror
(MEM/Galvanometer) lidars. The company expects
them to last the life of the vehicle.
Key to the performance of the OpSys lidar is the
VCSEL [vertical cavity surface-emitting laser], a type of
semiconductor laser diode. Apple began using similar
technology on its iPhone 12 smartphone, helping drive
down VCSEL component costs. OpSys is sourcing a
VCSEL manufactured to its own specifications. It
claims the lidar modules will be factory calibrated,
and absent a collision, never require recalibration.
The patented implementation uses a VCSEL array
as the pulsed-light source, combined with a single-chip
SPAD [Single-Photon Avalanche Diode] solid-state
photodetector receiver. This design enables the semiconductor-based
solution to reside on a single printed
circuit board. OpSys describes the setup as using the
same amount of light as a typical flash lidar, but narrowed
to one pixel, then using multiple detectors and frequencies
to give it the required resolution, range and speed.
In-field demonstration
SAE Media recently previewed the technology in a
pilot vehicle outfitted with SML, riding with Sunil
Kamath, Opsys' business development manager based
in San Jose, California. The vehicle setup was described
as " version 2.5, " of SML. Version 3.0, set to debut at
CES 2022 in January, will be the basis for Tier-1 and
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ENGINEERING
OpSys

Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - November 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - November 2021