Bosch to invest heavily in lidar technology

Target 2020 to fully commercialise the technology

Bosch will invest heavily in Lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging) sensor technology with a target to fully commercialise the technology by 2020, according to Automotive News Europe. The technology will be one of the cornerstones of the move towards autonomous driving. Many existing sensor technologies that support current advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) rely in traditional camera-based or radar-based sensors. But many supplier companies are developing technologies based on beams of light rather than radio waves. Jan Becker, a senior manager in the autonomous technology group at Bosch, said that 360-degree sensing must become much more sensitive and comprehensive if self-driving cars are to become a commercial reality, with Bosch planning to commercialise a Lidar system by 2020 as part of the key technologies towards fully autonomous driving. Becker said, "We are convinced we need [it] in the future."