A developer of integrated, single-chip FMCW (Coherent) LiDAR solutions, SiLC focuses on enabling advanced AI-based machine vision. Honda has a history of investing in innovative startups through its global open innovation program, Honda Xcelerator Ventures. This program is led by Honda Innovations, a subsidiary of Honda Motor.
“SiLC is the industry leader in the research and development of FMCW LiDAR, which is capable of detecting vehicles and various obstacles from long distances – and Honda has high expectations for its potential,” said Manabu Ozawa, Managing Executive Officer, Honda Motor. “Honda is striving for zero traffic collision fatalities involving our motorcycles and automobiles globally by 2050. We believe that SiLC’s advanced LiDAR technology will become an important technology for us. Honda continues to discover, collaborate with and invest in innovative startups like SiLC through our global open innovation program, Honda Xcelerator Ventures.”
Equipping vehicles with advanced AI vision capabilities that autonomously detect hazards, predict movements and prevent accidents can significantly enhance safety, efficiency, and reliability.
The technology is seen as helping to pave the way for a future where autonomous transportation becomes the norm, reducing traffic congestion and minimising human error on the roads.
However, current technologies do not support these critical capabilities. For example, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) can fail to detect objects at longer distances in diverse environments.
The rapid detection of moving objects and early determination of intent can lead to faster reaction times that could make the critical split-second difference between life and death.
To ensure safety and autonomy in all situations, the deployed vision systems need to be powerful, efficient in computation, compact, scalable, and resilient to complex, unpredictable conditions, including interference from other systems. These requirements exclude existing time-of-flight-based solutions and highlight FMCW LiDAR as the ideal platform.
SiLC is tackling several critical challenges in vehicle vision technology using high-performance FMCW LiDAR. Current radar and 2D/3D vision systems struggle with detecting dark objects, such as tyres, at distances of a couple of hundred meters. They also have difficulty distinguishing between slow-moving and stationary vehicles for effective evasive actions. Most time-of-flight LiDARs suffer from interference caused by sunlight, retro reflectors, and other LiDAR systems.
SiLC’s FMCW LiDAR looks to overcome these obstacles by detecting objects at distances of a kilometre or more with precise distance measurements and can measure the velocity of objects, allowing the system to predict their movements accurately.
SiLC's innovations include the Eyeonic Sensor and Vision System which represent significant advancements in machine vision, providing machines with the information necessary to navigate and interact with the physical world effectively.
These systems leverage FMCW LiDAR technology to equip machines with enhanced vision capabilities, addressing the critical need for accurate, real-time perception in various sectors to enable the level of dexterity and hand-eye coordination needed for all tasks.
At present, SiLC offers the industry's longest-range LiDAR and highest level of precision and claims to be setting a new benchmark in the field.
Dr. Mehdi Asghari, SiLC Technologies CEO, said, "This investment from Honda will accelerate our progress toward a society with fully autonomous solutions that enhance our safety and address our widely spread labour shortages across many critical markets. Our silicon photonics platform offers a powerful, low-cost, efficient and scalable FMCW LiDAR engine, which is essential for the high volumes required by the automotive industry.
“SiLC’s FMCW LiDAR solutions bring superior vision to machines to truly enable the next generation of AI-based automation and move us closer to a more intelligent, interconnected future.”
