Hyundai has announced a partnership with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to develop LiDAR sensors for advanced autonomous vehicles.
The joint research laboratory aims to develop compact, high-performance on-chip sensors and new signal detection technologies that are essential for autonomous driving models.
On-chip sensors, which use semiconductor manufacturing technology to add various functions, can reduce the size of LiDAR compared to conventional methods and ensure price competitiveness through mass production using semiconductor manufacturing processes.
In addition, Hyundai added that current LiDAR sensors measure the distance to objects by emitting and measuring the time it takes for light to return. However, the next-generation signal detection method, called Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW), emits light with a frequency that varies over time and analyzes the change in frequency of the returning light to detect the distance.
Compared to existing methods, this technology has less signal noise, can calculate the relative velocity of objects, and can exclude interference from external light sources such as sunlight, making it relatively advantageous in adverse weather conditions.