Velodyne partners Nikon to mass produce Lidar sensors

Velodyne Lidar, the US-based lidar solution provider for autonomy and driver assistance today announced an agreement with Nikon Corporation, under which Sendai Nikon Corporation, a Nikon subsidiary, will manufacture lidar sensors for Velodyne with plans to start mass production in the second half of 2019. The partnership cements Velodyne’s manufacturing plan and expands its lead in the global lidar sensor market.

“Mass production of our high-performance lidar sensors is key to advancing Velodyne’s immediate plans to expand sales in North America, Europe, and Asia,” said Marta Hall, president and CBDO, Velodyne Lidar. “With this partnership, Velodyne affirms its leadership role in designing, producing, and selling lidar for worldwide implementation. For years, Velodyne has been perfecting lidar technology to produce thousands of lidar units for autonomous vehicles (AVs) and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It is our goal to produce lidar in the millions of units with manufacturing partners such as Nikon.”

Velodyne provides lidar solutions for vehicle autonomy and driver assistance

Beyond AVs and ADAS, Velodyne will leverage Nikon’s mass manufacturing prowess as lidar sales expand within other emerging markets. Accelerated by its partnership with Nikon, Velodyne’s low cost lidar solutions will benefit a range of business segments, including robotics, security, mapping, agriculture, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Velodyne is a leading supplier of lidar sensors to the automotive industry with claims of more than 250 customers globally.

Velodyne lidar sensors can simultaneously locate the position of people and objects around a vehicle and assess the speed and route at which they are moving

“Working with Nikon, an expert in precision manufacturing, is a major step toward lowering the cost of our lidar products. Nikon is notable for expertly mass-producing cameras while retaining high standards of performance and uncompromising quality. Together, Velodyne and Nikon will apply the same attention to detail and quality to the mass production of lidar. Lidar sensors will retain the highest standards while at the same time achieving a price that will be more affordable for customers around the world,” said Hall.

Nikon invested $25 million (Rs 175 crore) in Velodyne last year and now aims to combine Nikon’s optical and precision technologies with Velodyne’s lidar sensor technology. Since the investment, both companies have been investigating a business alliance that includes collaboration in technology development and manufacturing.

Velodyne sensors provide rich computer perception data that allows real-time object and free space detection for safe navigation and reliable operation

This manufacturing agreement represents the initial phase of the Velodyne/Nikon business alliance. The companies will continue to investigate further areas of a wide-ranging and multifaceted business alliance.

Also read: Nikon invests $25 million in Velodyne Lidar