Sydney-based automotive company Baraja has struck a deal with NYSE-listed automotive technology company Veoneer to industrialise their trademark Spectrum-Scan LiDAR technology for use in autonomous vehicles.
Veoneer will develop, market, and integrate a scalable Spectrum-Scan platform from Baraja for the automotive market under the terms of the non-exclusive agreement.
Baraja’s developed technology allows it to be one of the smallest LiDAR makers for cars. Veoneer said it would use Baraja’s technology in the next phase of autonomous car applications, from L2 (partial automation) + to L4 (high automation).
LiDAR is helpful in a wide range of industries. However, most LiDAR devices involve very complicated mechanical elements that can be affected by extreme temperatures and other environmental conditions.
“Veoneer is a natural partner for us. We built our Spectrum-Scan technology to enable autonomous driving that is safer, more accessible and ready today for the next generation of vehicles,” said Federico Collarte, Founder & CEO of Baraja.
“By combining our technology with Veoneer’s vast experience in automotive design and platform integration, this partnership helps ensure the world’s leading automotive brands can bring that autonomous reality to more people.”
About Baraja’s Spectrum-Scan Technology
Spectrum-Scan is a trademark of Baraja. LiDAR uses prism-like optics to deflect light in multiple directions for more reliable scanning at a cheaper cost.
In addition, it generates high-resolution point clouds that can properly detect things at a distance of more than 250 metres while remaining immune to interference from other sensors or light pollution.
Furthermore, Baraja has put its LiDAR through its paces, from the Australian desert to the polar tundra, to ensure that it operates in every environment. Hence, the technology is more resistant to variables like heat, shock, and vibration that have hampered older LiDAR systems.
Veoneer will use this technology to develop automotive-grade sensing solutions for driver assistance and autonomy applications and create a new generation of LiDAR systems enabling automakers to detect and classify objects faster and with more precision.
According to Jan Carlson, Chairman, President, and CEO of Veoneer, the partnership with Baraja will enable Vioneer to leverage its technology to produce future cars at competitive prices.
“We conducted extensive research among 70 LiDAR technology companies worldwide and concluded that by partnering with Baraja, Veoneer would be able to offer and integrate scalable automotive-grade LiDAR-sensors in future vehicles at competitive prices,” Mr Carlson said.
Baraja is a 3D machine vision company founded in 2015 by Cibby Pulikkaseril and Federico Collarte.
When compared to typical spinning LiDAR systems, its LiDAR technique focuses on delicate moving parts and oscillating mirrors to scan the environment, dramatically improving reliability and robustness.
In March this year, Baraja secured a $31 million in Series B round to continue the deployment and development of its imaging system, including participation from new and existing investors.
Among its investors are Sequoia Capital China, Blackbird Ventures, Sydney-based Perennial Value Management, InterValley Ventures Pty and Main Sequence Ventures.
Since 2016, Baraja has raised nearly $70 million in three fundraising rounds, according to Crunchbase.
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