AEye is a company that is developed with an aim of delivering military-grade performance in

autonomous vehicles. This is through harnessing the latest information acquisition

technology that will drive the automotive industry into the next realm of autonomy [ CITATION

AEy \l 1033 ]. This is being achieved through iDAR intelligent sensor and data processing

technology that equips vehicles with powerful capabilities like those used in aerospace and

defense industries.

Currently, most advanced sensor technologies are based on LiDAR – Light Detection and

Ranging system – a system that relies on remote sensing by using light in form of pulsed

laser to measure ranges (variable distances) to the earth [CITATION Wha \l 1033 ]. The LiDAR

system collects light impulses which it processes together with data from an airborne system

such as satellite or a mid-air plane to generate precise three-dimensional information detailing

the surface characteristics and the shape of the earth. Despite the obvious advantages of the

system, it is not effective during heavy rain or low hanging clouds due to the effects of

refraction [ CITATION Nic08 \l 1033 ]. Data from LiDAR is also difficult to interpret as the

system generates very large data sets.

As AEye reveals about conventional LiDAR system, the independent sensors collect

tremendous amount of data that requires lengthy processing time and massive computing

power to give out information that can be applied to give out actionable information that can

safely guide a moving vehicle. Furthermore, LiDAR system is not intelligent and gathers

indiscriminate information about the environment thus most of the data collected has to be

filtered out as it is not of use to the guiding systems[ CITATION iDA \l 1033 ]

The fact that Lidar system majorly relies on data from an airborne system puts the automotive

industry at a disadvantage since we do not have operational airborne vehicles yet. However,

this state of affairs is already changing with AEye’s introduction of iDAR technology. iDAR
– intelligent Detection and Ranging – overcomes the shortcomings of LiDAR by using

artificial intelligence based platform that mimics how humans perceive their environment to

evaluate the environment around the vehicle, driving conditions and potential road hazards

[ CITATION iDA \l 1033 ]. The system is touted to increase the speed of car’s artificial

intelligence tenfold while reducing power consumption with an almost equal amount by

reducing the amount of data relayed from the sensors for processing by up to 90 per cent.

Clearly, iDAR is no match for LiDAR.

AEye Company has also developed other related products on iDAR platform. One of such is

4Sight M – a powerful perception sensor that has a wide range of applications in automotive,

trucking, transit, construction, rail, Intelligent Traffic Systems, aerospace and defense utilities

[CITATION 4SI \l 1033 ]. The LiDAR based sensor has an almost instant address resolution that

can detect pedestrians at over 200 meters withstanding foliage and adverse weather

conditions. It is also hardy and can detect small, low reflective objects such as tire fragments,

bricks and other fragments from a distance of over 120 meters.

This innovation by AEYE Company largely overcomes the limitations of conventional

sensors which rely on reflection of laser pulses that may be significantly distorted by heavy

rain or fog which may make it difficult to get the accurate depiction of a vehicle’s

surroundings.

The company has also produced another game-changing application through the iDAR

system called 4 Sight A. This a solid state sensor that has got six layers of interference

mitigation, anti-spoofing technology and meets the automotive industry’s stringent safety

standards [ CITATION 4Si20 \l 1033 ]. The sensor is useful in a wide range of applications such

as collision avoidance and automatic emergency breaking.

The sensor technology by AEYE is disruptive to the contemporary technology currently

being used in the autonomous automotive industry. This is through the introduction of

ground-breaking innovations that have made what was seemingly impossible with the

commonly existing technology possible. A good example to this is introduction of a range of

sensors applicable in autonomous vehicles that are more effective and accurate than the

conventional sensors that use radar, laser or even the LiDAR. Such innovations have even led

to the recognition of the company which won an award as the Most Innovative Autonomous

Driving Platform at AutoSense Brussels in 2019 [ CITATION Tra19 \l 1033 ].

The most notable innovation, and is responsible for the award to AEye Company, is AEye’s

iDAR that has been hailed as the most innovative autonomous driving platform due to its

breakthrough innovations that have enabled autonomous vehicles to intelligently assess any

potential hazards, assess the situation and even respond appropriately according to the

situational demands.

The sophisticated sensor technology by AEye has been made possible by the flexible iDAR

platform that enables intelligent and adaptive sensing [ CITATION AEy20 \l 1033 ]. The

flexibility of the platform allows the sensors – which can search, detect, classify and track

objects – to be distributed to the sensor network.

The innovation is a solution to some of the autonomous vehicles industry’s greatest

challenges such as reliability and range. This suits it as a great compliment to other

Automatic Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that work to prevent road accidents through

collision avoidance systems and automatic breaking systems. Though the systems, which

only recently entered the commercial market, are yet to be extensively adopted, the results so

far seem promising and will save engineers years of trial and error on potential alternative

solutions.
AEye is definitely not without competitors. Innoviz Technologies, a company that provides

solid-state LiDAR Sensors and perception software is the largest competitor to AEye. The

firm provides similar technological solutions to AEye and its products are used in automotive

industry, drone, robotics mapping among other industries seeking safe autonomy.

One of the products by Innoviz Technologies is InnovizPro. Though no longer in the market,

the product is similar to AEye’s 4Sight M and has applications in automotive, Drone/UAV

robotics, heavy machinery, smart cities, security, monitoring, traffic management, mapping

and many such industries [ CITATION Inn20 \l 1033 ].

The current product in the market from Innoviz Technologies is InnovizOne. This product is

more advanced than InnovizPro and is a worthy competitor to AEye’s products. The product

is specifically designed for automakers and robo-taxi and delivery companies that require an

automotive-grade autonomy solution that can be mass produced [ CITATION Inn201 \l 1033 ].

The sensor is not affected by weather conditions and has a range of 250 meters.

One of the challenges faced by AEye is the reception of autonomous vehicle technology in

the market. Though there are still fears of an accident if the system malfunctions, the greatest

challenge is the fear that people have regarding autonomous cars. This is dragging the

penetration of groundbreaking innovations in the automotive industry such as the ones

pioneered by AEye. The fear is partly due to a number of reported fatal crashes involving

autonomous vehicles and partly due to the obvious skepticism that meets any novel

innovation that tries to outdo conventional systems.

As statistics reveal, a substantial amount of potential consumers of the technological products

are still very afraid of autonomous vehicles. A survey by AAA reveals that three in four

Americans are afraid of self-driving vehicles [ CITATION Tan19 \l 1033 ]. This is a huge

obstacle to penetration of autonomous automotive technology into the market. Convincing

potential consumers to partake trials on AEye intelligent technological products to change

their views has not been much successful so far.

Another challenge is the exorbitant costs associated with the latest and the newest

technologies. This is not only a big barrier to AEye’s technology uptake but is also a

motivating factor to seek alternatives. For instance, the market price, after launching, of a

long range LiDAR system with a camera and radar was just below $15000. The more recent

system based on iDAR system is even more expensive to a point of being prohibitive.

Despite the challenges in hitting the market, the future of the technology is promising.

Curiosity still surrounds the prospects of future autonomous vehicle becoming more reliable

and faster. This will definitely be achieved through the use of cutting-edge technology like

the one pioneered by AEye and other related companies.

Looking into the future, advances in technology will make such systems as iDAR and the

ensuing applications even more sophisticated and enable the autonomous vehicles to provide

such advantages as high reliability, high speed, reduced insurance needs, less redundant

passengers and even enable the government to spend less on traffic police.

The technology, despite the many advantages, raises several ethical considerations. One of

such considerations is that there is still yet to be a legal framework for autonomous cars. The

autonomous cars using the technology may also fall into the hands of criminals or even

terrorists with devastating consequences. Finally, the technology is likely to lead to massive

job losses, especially for taxis and private drivers, if fully adapted.

References

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https://www.aeye.ai/products/#product-intro
4SIGHT M - One Platform, Endless Applications. (2020). Retrieved from AEYE Products:
https://www.aeye.ai/products/#product-intro

AEye Announces World’s First Commercially Available Perception Software Designed to Run Inside
the Sensors of Autonomous. (2020). Retrieved from Bloomberg:
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AEye brings cutting-edge science to the automotive industry. (n.d.). Retrieved from AEYE:
https://www.aeye.ai/about-aeye/

iDAR is smarter than LiDAR. (n.d.). Retrieved from AEye.ai: https://www.aeye.ai/idar/

InnovizOne | Automotive Grade LiDAR & Perception Software. (2020). Retrieved from Innoviz
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InnovizPro|Solid State LiDAR Sensors. (2020). Retrieved from Innoviz Technologies:

https://innoviz.tech/innovizpro

Mohn, T. (2019, March 28). Most Americans Still Afraid to Ride in Self-Driving Cars. Retrieved from
Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyamohn/2019/03/28/most-americans-still-afraid-
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Nicolae, D., Talianu, C., Nemuc, A., & Carstea, E. (2008). Benefits and Drawbacks of Laser Remote
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Transportation and Logistics Awards - Autonomous Vehicles Category. (2019). Retrieved from Edison
Awards - Honoring the Best in Innovation and Innovators:
https://edisonawards.com/winners2019.php

What is lidar? (n.d.). Retrieved from US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration: https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/lidar.html