General Motors (GM) has is advancing self-driving vehicle deployment acquired with the purchase of Strobe.
Financial details about the deal were not disclosed.
As part of the acquisition, Strobe’s engineering team will be integrated into GM’s Cruise Automation team for the development of next-generation LiDAR solutions for self-driving vehicles.
Cruise Automation founder and CEO Kyle Vogt said: “Strobe’s LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale.”
LiDAR is a technology where light is used to create high-resolution images that offer an accurate view of the world than with cameras or radar alone. With the advancement of self-driving vehicles, LiDAR’s accuracy is expected to play a critical role in the development.
Strobe founder and CEO, Julie Schoenfeld said: “The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of LIDAR sensors.
“Strobe’s deep engineering talent and technology backed by numerous patents will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think.”
Recently in September, Cruise Automation unveiled a mass producible self-driving car designed with redundancy and safety requirements. The vehicle will join Cruise Automation’s testing fleets in San Francisco, metropolitan Phoenix and Detroit.
In June, General Motors produced 130 Chevrolet Bolt EV test vehicles equipped with self-driving technology from its Orion assembly in Michigan. These 130 vehicles will join GM and Cruise Automation’s existing fleet of 50 self-driving EVs deployed in San Francisco; Scottsdale, Arizona; and metro Detroit.
General Motors acquired Cruise Automation last March for more than $1bn. GM also stated that it will be investing $14m in new research and development facility in San Francisco and will add more than 1100 jobs.
