At Electronica 2024, a small company named InSync stole the spotlight with their groundbreaking approach to advanced MEMS lidar technology. With a sleek demo featuring a model car, they revealed a clever method that pushes lidar capabilities far beyond what traditional systems can achieve.
The Current State of Lidar Technology
Lidar systems are widely used in automotive and industrial settings, relying on lasers to measure distances and create detailed maps of surroundings. These systems depend on MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) mirrors to steer laser beams in different directions. However, traditional MEMS mirrors are small, typically ranging from 1mm² to 50mm², and attempts to enlarge them have been hindered by material fragility. This limitation caps the effective range of most systems at around 50 to 100 metres.
InSync’s Breakthrough
Instead of trying to make individual MEMS mirrors larger, InSync has developed an ingenious approach: synchronising many small mirrors to function as a single array. This method not only avoids the reliability issues associated with larger mirrors but also creates a larger combined aperture, significantly enhancing performance. Their innovation enables advanced MEMS lidar technology to detect objects up to 500 metres away, making it ideal for industries requiring extended range and precision.
Dual-Axis Scanning for Superior Performance
The secret to InSync’s success lies in their advanced scanning technique. Their MEMS mirrors handle vertical scanning at an ultra-fast frequency of 2kHz, while a motor moves the entire chip horizontally at 10Hz. This dual-axis system ensures rapid and accurate data collection, making their lidar system far more effective at capturing complex environments compared to conventional setups.
Demonstrating the Difference
To illustrate their innovation, InSync presented a captivating demo featuring a model car. Their lidar system uses MEMS mirrors to scan vertically, while the motor ensures horizontal scanning across the environment. The combination of fast MEMS movement and controlled motor scanning creates a highly detailed map of the surroundings, offering a glimpse into the potential of this enhanced technology.
What’s Next for InSync?
InSync’s technology is already available for evaluation. They provide development kits for companies to test their systems and explore the possibilities of advanced MEMS lidar technology. By making their kits accessible, InSync is paving the way for automotive and industrial sectors to adopt this new approach and unlock greater capabilities in mapping, navigation, and object detection.
InSync’s innovative take on lidar mirrors shows how creative thinking can tackle long-standing challenges, offering industries a robust and scalable solution for next-generation sensing.