Measuring depth via the coherence of light

The game-changing potential of LiDAR technology in many applications has been discussed for years. But while impressive advancements have been made in the field, integration barriers leave 3D sensing out of reach for many exciting initiatives. Traditionally, accurate distance measurement necessitates high-speed Giga-Hertz electronics and high-precision and labor-intensive optical calibration. This results in an expensive sensor with limited performance that requires frequent maintenance, hindering the adoption rate of LiDAR sensors. Lidwave is approaching 3D sensing from a different perspective. In legacy LiDARs, the depth resolution is inherently dependent on the system's bandwidth. However, high bandwidth results in low-sensitivity (low SNR) and costly systems.

Our patented Finite Coherent Ranging (FCR™) platform changes the rules of the game by exploiting unique coherent properties of the light to extract depth information. This paradigm shift allows us to reduce the bandwidth of the system by 30X while maintaining high-resolution depth information with enhanced sensitivity. The assembly of LiDAR systems is an additional aspect that increases their price and decreases performance. One of the most challenging points is the design of the transmitter and the receiver which must be spatially separated to avoid crosstalk. FCR enables us not only to integrate the core building blocks of the LiDAR on a single chip but also to realize a true monostatic design in which we transmit and receive from the same pixel. To summarize, our FRC platform provides a cost-effective, calibration- and maintenance-free, scalable, and robust high-performance Sensor-on-a-Chip.