Infineon acquires Innoluce – strengthens position in automated driving

Based on the know-how of Innoluce, Infineon will develop chip components for high-performance lidar systems. Terms of the agreement has not been disclosed. According to Infineon – lidar, radar and camera will be the three key sensor technologies for semi-automated and fully automated cars. And with this acquisition the company has gained expertise in all three complementary sensor systems. While radar uses radio-frequency electromagnetic waves, lidar employs laser beams to measure the distance to objects adjacent to the car. Scanning lidar systems help to detect small objects on the road. “With this acquisition, we take a big step into the lidar technology that will play an important role in the safety cocoon essential to fully automated cars,” said Peter Schiefer, President of the Automotive division at Infineon. “We intend to make lidar an affordable feature for every new-built car worldwide”. First lidar systems to be introduced in premium cars within the next couple of years are based on mechanical scanning mirrors and, thus, are bulky and rather expensive. To become a standard feature in all car classes, lidar systems need to be semiconductor-based, thus getting more compact, cost-effective, and robust, Infineon states in a press release.