Ams AG has signed a cooperation agreement with Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH and ZF Friedrichshafen AG (the world's leading transportation technology company) to jointly promote solid-state LiDAR technology, service autonomous driving and other related application. The three parties will conduct joint research and development to make this exciting technology available in the car by 2021.

LiDAR is an optical sensing technology that uses laser beams to illuminate surrounding objects and detect the reflections of objects to measure their distance and direction. The specific detection range and resolution complements the radar and camera solutions to achieve the “dream” of the autonomous automotive industry – SAE Level 5 (automatically driven).

Amers Semiconductor will provide automotive-grade VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) arrays and drivers that are superior in reliability and stability to other light source technologies such as edge emitters and LEDs. Amers Semiconductor is the industry's first solid-state LiDAR light-emitting solution, which means no mechanical parts are required to control the beam direction, which not only improves reliability, but also reduces complexity, size, weight and cost. Solid-state LiDAR has a high reliability and small size, which lays the foundation for large-scale LiDAR with the car.

Dr. Ulrich Lages, CEO of Ibeo Automotive Systems, said: "LiDAR has become a key technology in the automotive industry. So far, our leading products have been adopted by European and global automotive companies. Our solutions and Amers Semiconductor The combination of VCSEL technology will enable a major leap in automotive solid-state LiDAR."

Aine Denari, senior vice president of ZF Global Electronics ADAS, said: "As a global leader in electric vehicles and autonomous driving solutions in the automotive industry, our global business operations capabilities and deep understanding of integrated safety, motion control and digitalization drive LiDAR's global application development has taken it to the next level. This collaboration will help safe and reliable autonomous driving around the world become a reality."

Emmaith Semiconductor CEO Alexander Everke said: "Ames Semiconductor provides Ibeo and ZF with unique technical capabilities, the first to introduce solid-state LiDAR systems on the market. With Ibeo's leading solutions and integration capabilities and rich in LiDAR Combining experience, we work together to provide automotive manufacturers with unparalleled solutions for the critical reliability required for autonomous driving.