This paper quantifies an error source that limits the accuracy of lidar scan matching, particularly for voxel-based methods. Lidar scan matching, which is used in dead reckoning (also known as lidar odometry) and mapping, computes the rotation and translation that best align a pair of point clouds. Perspective errors occur when a scene is viewed from different angles, with different surfaces becoming visible or occluded from each viewpoint. To explain perspective anomalies observed in data, this paper models perspective errors for two objects representative of urban landscapes: a cylindrical column and a dual-wall corner. For each object, we provide an analytical model of the perspective error for voxel-based lidar scan matching. We then analyze how perspective errors accumulate as a lidar-equipped vehicle moves past these objects.

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Pony.ai and Toyota Motor showcased their jointly developed Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicle powerd by Pony.ai's sixth-generation L4 autonomous driving suite at the 5th China International Import Expo (CIIE). According to Pony.ai, the standardized manufacturing of its first batch ADK (autonomous driving kit) has been kicked off. The vehicles have gone through a four-month-long closed road test. The first batch of the Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicles will be put into Robotaxi service in first-tier Chinese cities in the first half of 2023. The Sienna Autono-MaaS vehicle displayed at the CIIE features the similar exterior design as the Sienna for retail.

June 2020: Volkswagen will invest USD 2.6 billion in capital and assets in Ford's self-driving unit ... [ ] Argo AI to market new-technology vehicles in the United States and Europe. Argo.ai, an autonomous vehicle (AV) unicorn, announced on October 26, 2022, that it would terminate operations across its locations in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, New Jersey and Munich. It impacts roughly 2100 employees and, more importantly, puts into focus the feasibility and business model for autonomous transportation on public roads. The company was founded in 2013 by alums of the 2006 DARPA Grand Challenge, Google, and Uber AV initiatives and secured significant backing and funding from Ford in 2017 ($1B) and later from Volkswagen in 2020 ($2.5B). Both investments occurred under the auspices of earlier CEOs, who have since been replaced (Ford CEO Jim Hacket in 2020 and Volkswagen CEO Herbert Deiss in 2022). It is unsurprising that new management saw things differently and did not want to inherit their predecessor's strategic bets.

The CEO of Intel Corp-owned Mobileye on Tuesday laid out plans for a self-driving car system for 2025 that could use house-built lidar sensors rather than units from Luminar Technologies Inc. Luminar shares closed down 17.6 percent after Reuters reported the move. In November, Mobileye signed a supply agreement with Luminar to use its lidar units in the first generation of Mobileye's driverless vehicle fleet. Luminar told Reuters that there has been no change to that agreement and that Luminar has also supplied lidar units for Mobileye development vehicles for nearly two years. Luminar said its units, which are only one part of Mobileye's broader self-driving system costs, are priced at less than $1,000 and exceed Mobileye's cost and performance requirements. Amnon Shashua, CEO of Mobileye and an Intel senior vice president, told Reuters that Mobileye's first generation of full self-driving kits -- which will include Luminar's lidar units along with a range of other chips, sensors and software -- will cost between $10,000 and $20,000.

Autonomous vehicles rely on several advanced technologies to self-navigate. We unbundle the AV to see how these technologies work together and which companies are driving them forward. Autonomous vehicles rely on a set of complementary technologies to understand and respond to their surroundings. Some AV companies are focusing on these specific components and partnering with automakers and Tier-1 suppliers to help bring their products to scale while others, such as Zoox and Nuro, are designing their vehicles from the ground up. Technology is disrupting the auto industry from all sides. Get the free report PDF to learn more.

Velodyne Lidar is the maker of the lidar units used by nearly all of the self-driving developments under way as of 2019. The company's lidar sensors are expensive, but it has worked with several automakers to lower costs considerably over the last few years. While some well-funded entrants (including Waymo and Cruise) have internal efforts under way to develop lower-cost lidar units of their own, Velodyne still has the potential to be an enduring leader in this space. Investors should be prepared to take a close look if and when the company announces plans for a public offering. Zoox is a secretive California-based start-up that is developing a self-driving system aimed at the ridesharing market.

Elon Musk is reportedly launching an investigation into an employee who sabotaged the company. Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of Space Exploration Technologies Corporation, speaks on the final day of the 68th International Astronautical Congress in Adelaide, Australia, on Sept. 29, 2017. Elon Musk has called lidar a crutch. The Tesla CEO believes he can build self-driving and semi-autonomous cars without relying on the technology, which uses lasers to help the cars map and navigate their surroundings. Instead, Tesla has looked to cameras and radar -- without lidar -- to do much of the work needed for its Autopilot driver assistance system.

Gathering the data via drone is well understood as it offers number of benefits. But the logistics of mounting a LIDAR unit onto a drone proved to be challenging for many users. Scanfly, a payload LIDAR, can easily be installed on most of the drones, due to its compact shape and weight. It can also be installed on a backpack or vehicle, which ensures users have options when it comes to where and how they utilize the technology. Scanfly is able to combine real-time GPS information with onboard instrument measurements so that users are always dealing with georefrenced data. The LIDAR technology helps users to discriminate details like top of the tree from undergrowth to obtain automatically accurate measurements.

But that said, the stated capabilities of Audi's system aren't all that different from systems already being offered by Mercedes-Benz and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA), and soon to be offered by General Motors (NYSE:GM) on its Cadillac CT6 sedan. Like Mercedes' Traffic Jam Assist, Audi's system is limited to stop-and-go highway driving at low speeds, while Tesla and (soon) Cadillac allow hands-off driving at full highway speeds. That concern has led some automakers, including Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) to declare that they would skip Level 3, and work toward a full Level 4 system that can drive the car under most circumstances instead. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Ford and Tesla.

Ford has shown the first images of its new self-driving Fusion Hybrid with a more powerful computer and improved, better-integrated sensors. It uses an upgraded version of the Fusion Hybrid platform, bolstered by self-driving hardware, a large new computer and electrical controls that "are close to production-ready," the company said in a press release. It also packs lower-profile LIDAR units that appear to be the "Puck" models from Velodyne, a company in which it recently invested $150 million. Cameras and other bits are smoothly built into the roof, making the hybrid less "hey, look at me, I'm a self-driving car" than other models. By contrast, the last autonomous Fusion model used since 2013 featured no less than four bulky LIDAR units.