The Road To Next-Generation LiDAR Sensors

Performance-Optimized Laser Technology

Our Canadian facility in Vaudreuil-Dorion near Montreal has been designing and building pulsed laser diodes (PLDs) since 2002. From humble beginnings in a dark, empty warehouse, LASER COMPONENTS Canada has turned into a leading supplier of PLDs with wavelengths of 850 nm, 905 nm, and 1550 nm. In a market that is mainly driven by demanding industries such as automotive and defense, the company has always been on the cutting edge in technological developments. General Manager Jeff Briton shares with us where PLD technology is heading.

PLDs are mostly used in time-of-flight-based distance measurement, of which LiDAR is currently the most advanced field of application.  The automotive industry is the primary driving force behind the development of this technology.  This technology is already used in driver assistance systems such as autonomous emergency braking (AEB), but still has a long way to go. The industry is well known for its challenging demands such as operability within a wide temperature range and resilience against all kinds of shocks and vibrations. In addition, automotive LiDAR must feature an exceptionally high resolution in future applications to detect and discern objects at greater distances and deliver a detailed 3D picture of any object within its range.