Tier 1 automotive supplier Marelli is to enter a technical and commercial development agreement in the autonomous driving field with XenomatiX, a supplier of solid-state lidar.
XenomatiX will provide Marelli’s Automotive Lighting division with its solid-state lidar modules for ADAS and autonomous driving applications. The two companies will combine competencies and technologies to offer modular lidar system solutions to meet future global automotive needs. They will also leverage the AI perception technology derived from Smart Me Up, the French startup acquired by Marelli in 2018, to add object recognition and classification capabilities.
XenomatiX’s solid-state lidar sensor is said to bring to the market a unique product based on proven semiconductor technology, designed for mass production. It’s expected that Marelli Automotive Lighting’s long-standing systems integration, optical, electronics and software capabilities will complement XenomatiX’s lidar components technology – either in a standalone form or as part of larger front and/or rear modules.
The two partners expect the resulting solid-state and multi-beam lidar technology to provide high reliability and long-range coverage, crucial to enable a variety of ADAS functions.
Marelli previously strengthened its competence in the ADAS/autonomous domain with the introduction of the Smart Corner, a solution integrating sensors for autonomous driving within vehicle headlamps and tail lamps.