GM acquires US LIDAR technology company Strobe

US-based General Motors (GM) has acquired Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) technology company Strobe for an undisclosed amount.

As part of the deal, Strobe’s engineering team will join GM’s Cruise Automation team to define and develop 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 technology makes use of the light to create high-resolution images to provide an accurate view of the world than cameras or radar alone.

GM noted that with the growing demand for the self-driving technology, LIDAR’s accuracy is expected to play a critical role in this field.

"The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of LIDAR sensors."

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.”

Last month, Cruise Automation unveiled its mass-producible car designed with the redundancy and safety requirements necessary to operate without a driver.

The newly developed vehicle is expected to join Cruise’s testing fleets in San Francisco, metropolitan Phoenix and Detroit at a later stage.