ZF today announced that it acquired a 40% stake in Ibeo Automotive Systems GmbH, a leader in lidar technology. Lidar, an acronym for “light detection and ranging,” denotes a procedure in which a light pulse is emitted to determine a distance based on runtime and the speed of light. Lidar is an optical method for measuring distance and speed that is very similar to radar, except that laser pulses are used instead of radio waves. Lidar is a key technology for autonomous driving, object recognition and accident prevention.
Ibeo Automotive Systems works on developing environmental recognition software, concentrating on applications for autonomous driving. Ibeo’s customers include several major global vehicle manufacturers.
“Lidar gives us access to a core technology for environmental and object recognition,” claims Dr. Stefan Sommer, ZF’s chief executive officer, explaining ZF’s investment in Ibeo. “Lidar expands our current sensor portfolio of radar and camera technologies. Moreover, Ibeo’s fusion of these three sensor technologies provides outstanding results in environmental awareness and forms the basis for autonomous driving.”
The lidar to be developed in cooperation with ZF will reproduce a three-dimensional image of the environment without the rotating mirrors contained in current lidar systems. Using solid state technology, lidar technology will become more compact and easier to integrate into the vehicle.
Ibeo dates back to 1998. In the fast growing market of sensor systems and environmental recognition, the company expects to increase its workforce from around 50 to 250 employees in the medium term and also establish an Autonomous Driving Competence Center (AD-CC). The AD-CC will focus on the volume production and marketing of solutions for highly automated and autonomous driving.
ZF is a global leader in driveline and chassis technology, as well as active and passive safety technology. The company acquired TRW Automotive during May 2015 and integrated it into the organizational structure as the Active & Passive Safety Technology Division. ZF has 230 locations in some 40 countries. The combined company has a global workforce of ~138,300 and reported sales of €29.2 billion in 2015. ZF annually invests approximately five percent of its sales in Research & Development – €1.4 billion in 2015.
