From 2024, Stellantis will start equipping some of its vehicles with the Scala 3 LiDAR from French equipment manufacturer Valéo. A necessary step in the development of level 3 autonomous driving, which allows the driver to take their eyes off the road.
Stellantis has chosen Valeo’s third-generation LiDAR to equip certain models of its various automotive brands from 2024. LiDAR (laser imaging detection and rangingor in French “detection and estimation of the distance by light or laser”) Valeo Scala 3 will allow these vehicles to be certified for level 3 autonomous driving, authorizing drivers to let go of the steering wheel and leave the road from eyes.
Yves Bonnefont, Head of Software and member of the Top Executive Team of Stellantis specifies that “It is now the driving experience that profoundly differentiates cars from each other. Thanks to our level 3 autonomous driving solution, which is based on the latest generation of LiDAR from Valeo, we will offer a more pleasant driving experience and give back time to the driver during his journeys.“
For his part, the President of Valeo’s Comfort and Driving Assistance Systems Sector Marc Vrecko adds that “Level 3 vehicle autonomy can only be achieved with mastery of LiDAR technology. Without it, some objects cannot be detected. At this level of autonomy, perception must be extremely precise“. For the equipment manufacturer, this third generation LiDar allows a resolution 50 times higher than that of the previous generation.
Those who are familiar with the world of drones have probably heard of this technology for a few years now. DJI Mavics have been equipped for several generations with LiDar sensors allowing, for example, the autonomous realization of certain flight movements, such as a return to base, while avoiding obstacles. In the automobile, however, the technology is still a long way from mass production. Only the Honda Legend and the Mercedes S-Class are certified “level 3”.
LiDAR is a remote sensing technology similar to radar, which bases its remote measurement on the analysis of the properties of a beam of light returned to its emitter.
LiDARs “probe” their surroundings by projecting infrared pulse light onto nearby objects and calculating the time it takes to return after bouncing off them. Every second, the LiDAR thus takes millions of distance measurements which make it possible to design a 3D matrix of the environment.
Valeo’s Scala 3 LiDAR thus identifies an abandoned object more than 150 m away on the asphalt of an unlit road that neither the cameras, nor the radars, nor even the driver’s eye can detect. It reconstructs the environment of the car into a 3D image with resolution a priori unequaled in the automotive world. As a result, it is able to characterize the topology of the road and detect markings on the ground such as a pedestrian crossing or a stop line.
LiDAR alone is however not sufficient to “understand” the road. It is coupled with software based on deep learning algorithms which allow the car to be “steered” by anticipating the areas of the road free of obstacles. In addition, the manufacturer specifies that the LiDAR is able to self-diagnose, to self-clean if its field of vision is obstructed, and that it is able to operate over a temperature range of -40° C to +85°C. This LiDAR system is at the center of the sensor system to obtain certification for level 3 automated driving.
The challenge for Stellantis is to “give the driver time back in tedious driving situations, such as moving at low or medium speeds in heavy traffic“. Indeed, even for car enthusiasts, driving in traffic jams is anything but pleasant.
Valeo specifies that it is for the moment the first and the only one to produce a large-scale automotive LiDAR scanner (170,000 units are already produced). Stellantis is not the only one to want to equip its vehicles with this technology. Volvo plans to release its next all-electric XC90 directly with this technology in 2023.