Cepton, a Silicon Valley innovator in high-performance lidar solutions, has unveiled its next-generation flagship automotive lidar, Ultra. This breakthrough sensor sets a new industry benchmark for performance, power efficiency, and size, paving the way for safer and more advanced ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities in consumer vehicles.
Unmatched Performance in a Compact Package
Ultra boasts an impressive combination of features:
- 300m detection range: Accurately detects objects, even dark cars, at 50% greater distances than typical collision prevention systems require.
- 0.05° angular resolution: Generates highly detailed point clouds for precise object identification and classification.
- 120° x 25° field of view: Provides wide coverage while remaining software-definable for customizable perception needs.
- 12W power consumption: Significantly lower than competing lidars, enabling efficient integration without bulky cooling systems.
- 150 x 24 x 90mm size: The world’s slimmest high-performance automotive lidar, allowing seamless integration into various vehicle locations.
MagnoSteer™: The Secret Sauce
Ultra’s remarkable performance is powered by Cepton’s groundbreaking MagnoSteer™ technology. This revolutionary beam steering mechanism delivers:
- Maximized field of view efficiency: Minimizes wasted time, space, and energy, resulting in dense point clouds from a small package.
- Frictionless, automotive-grade design: Ensures long life and reliability for real-world driving conditions.
- Reduced power consumption: Uses less than half the power of comparable lidars, making it ideal for mass-market adoption.
Software-Defined Perception for Enhanced Safety
Ultra’s software-definable field of view and regions of interest (ROIs) enable adaptive perception. The system dynamically focuses on high-priority objects like vehicles and pedestrians, optimizing data collection and enhancing energy efficiency. This allows for:
- More precise object identification and tracking: Improves decision-making for safer driving.
- Reduced overall power consumption: Extends battery life and vehicle range.
- Potential for future advanced perception capabilities: Paves the way for even more sophisticated ADAS and autonomous driving features.
Faster Development, Lower Cost, Broader Impact
Cepton’s proprietary ASIC chipset further optimizes Ultra’s performance and cost. By integrating advanced signal processing, the chipset minimizes sensor footprint, power consumption, and overall cost. This, combined with Cepton’s experience in mass-market lidar production, promises:
- 33% faster development time: Bringing Ultra to market sooner and accelerating ADAS advancements.
- Significantly lower price point: Making high-performance lidar accessible to a wider range of vehicle manufacturers.
- Enhanced safety for all: Enabling broader adoption of ADAS and self-driving technologies, making roads safer for everyone.
Experience Ultra at CES 2024
Cepton will be showcasing Ultra at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. Visit them at booth No. 4040, LVCC to experience the future of automotive lidar firsthand.
