Press Kit: CES 2016
Table of Contents
|
News Release: Velodyne Announces Order from Ford Motor Company
For Its Next-Gen Solid-State LiDAR Sensor Designed for
ADAS Safety and Autonomous Driving
|
Media Advisory: At CES, Velodyne LiDAR Asks the Industry to Come to Its
Sensors
|
Media Advisory: At CES, Keep an Eye Out for the White Lincoln MKZ,
As AutonomouStuff Previews Automated Research Development Vehicle,
Equipped with Velodyne LiDAR
|
News Release: As Baidu’s Self-Driving Car Hits the Road in Beijing,
Velodyne LiDAR Sensor Guides the Way
|
News Release: Velodyne LiDAR Pucks to Serve as ‘Eyes’ for NAVYA Driverless
ARMA Shuttles; Initial Two-Vehicle Test Could Pave Way for Autonomous
Mass Transit in Switzerland
|
News Release: At Capturing Reality Forum, LiDAR Pioneer Velodyne Displays
Mobile Feast, As Mapping via Real-Time 3D LiDAR Sensors Takes Off
|
News Release: Velodyne 3D LiDAR Sensors Sweep Top Five Spots in China’s
Intelligent Vehicle Future Challenge
|
News Release: Velodyne Keynotes D.C. Geospatial Mapping Conference,
Outlines Future of LiDAR in Transportation Sector
|
News Release: Velodyne’s Popular VLP-16 3D LiDAR Puck Guides ESIGELEC
Team to Win in First ARGOS Challenge Oil & Gas Robotics Competition
|
News Release: For Second Year in a Row, Velodyne 3D LiDAR Sensor Enables
Embry-Riddle Entry to Take First Place in RoboBoat Competition
|
News Release: At Prestigious NAS Workshop, LiDAR Pioneer Velodyne
Sketches Future of Low-Altitude, Low-Cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
|
News Release: At UAS/UAV Mapping Forum, LiDAR Pioneer Velodyne
Previews UAV Remote Sensing Using Multi-Beam 3D LiDAR – And Solidifies
Market Leadership
|
News Release: At InterGEO, Velodyne’s Real-Time 3D LiDAR Scanners Map the
World via Land, Sea and Air
|
News Release: In Anticipation of Next Generation Sensors for Auto Sector,
Industry Leader Velodyne LiDAR Scales for Mass Production
|
News Release: Real Earth Partners with Velodyne to Lower Cost of Entry for
Creating High Res LiDAR Maps – Without GPS
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News Release: Velodyne’s 3D LiDAR Sensor Helps European Commission Joint
Research Centre Win Indoor Localization Competition
|
News Release: Frost & Sullivan Honors Velodyne LiDAR With 2015 North
American Automotive ADAS Sensors Product Leadership Award
The Velodyne Story
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Timeline: From Innovation to Integration
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Velodyne and Ford Motor Company: A Study in Collaboration
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Velodyne LiDAR Management Team
|
Frequently Asked Questions
|
Velodyne LiDAR Family – Photo Gallery & YouTube Links
|
Frost & Sullivan Award
For Immediate Release
VELODYNE ANNOUNCES ORDER FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY
FOR ITS NEXT-GEN SOLID-STATE LiDAR SENSOR
DESIGNED FOR ADAS SAFETY AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
First 3D LiDAR Sensor Capable of Supporting All ADAS Functionality Levels
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Jan. 5, 2016) – Velodyne announced today that it has received a
purchase order from Ford Motor Company for its next-generation advanced driver
assistance system (ADAS) LiDAR sensor.
Velodyne’s new Solid-State Hybrid Ultra Puck™ Auto is designed to combine the
functionality of its pioneering 3D LiDAR sensors in a miniaturized form factor while
extending sensing range to 200 meters. Velodyne set target pricing of less than $500 per
unit in automotive mass production quantities. The Solid-State Hybrid Ultra Puck Auto will
be the first affordable ADAS sensor capable of supporting ADAS levels 1-4/5, including fully
autonomous driving.
Ford Motor Co. has been involved in research and development of autonomous driving
features for more than a decade, and has worked with Velodyne during much of that time
(https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2015/01/06/ford-at-cesannounces-smart-mobility-plan.html). The company’s Smart Mobility Plan includes its
Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research Vehicles, equipped with Velodyne’s HDL-32E LiDAR
sensors.
At the same time, Ford has developed a wide range of semi-autonomous features already
implemented in vehicles currently in production. In November, Ford became the first
automaker to test an autonomous vehicle at the University of Michigan’s Mcity, the world's
first full-scaled simulated urban environment. The autonomous vehicle in question was
outfitted with Velodyne’s real-time, 3D LiDAR sensors.
“We’re pleased to supply industry innovators such as Ford with the most advanced 3D
LiDAR sensor in order to improve vehicle safety and transportation convenience as soon as
possible,” said Mike Jellen, Velodyne president. “This sensor was developed from
Velodyne’s broad customer experience from millions of roadway miles. Only the Velodyne
Solid-State Hybrid Ultra Puck Auto will deliver the data quality, form-factor and mass
production pricing required for full autonomy and ADAS safety levels 3 and 4.”
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
Solid-State Hybrid LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight
HDL-32E sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck,
a 16-channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less
expensive than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the
company and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver
Assistance System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has
emerged as the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology
used in a variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems,
3D mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contacts:
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Booth 3416, LVCC, North Hall
AT CES, VELODYNE LiDAR ASKS THE INDUSTRY TO COME TO ITS SENSORS;
SHOWCASES BREAKTHROUGH IMPLEMENTATIONS AND DESIGNS
FOR ADAS SAFETY AND AUTONOMOUS DRIVING
LiDAR Pioneer Previews its Next Gen Solid-State Hybrid ADAS Sensor,
Announces New Relationship with an Auto Industry Giant
LAS VEGAS (Jan. 4, 2016) – Velodyne LiDAR, the pioneer in autonomous vehicle technology,
will raise the bar higher still at CES 2016, previewing its next generation Solid-State Hybrid
ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) sensor and unveiling a new relationship with an
auto industry giant. The company will also showcase breakthrough implementations in
Asia and Europe, and extend its design leadership.
Velodyne has already transformed a market in hyper-growth mode. The company is
recognized worldwide for developing high-definition LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
sensors for autonomous vehicle applications, 3D mapping and surveying, robots on land
and sea, and all manner of UAVs. Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors are used by virtually every car
manufacturer and tier 1 supplier in the business, as well as players outside the auto
industry. To view a recent CNBC interview with Velodyne founder/CEO David Hall, please
see: http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000468908&play=1.
Velodyne is located in Booth 3416 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center
(LVCC). Among the highlights:
o The first deployment of fully autonomous production vehicles in conjunction with
driverless technology specialist NAVYA, using Velodyne’s real-time 16-channel 3D
VLP-16 LiDAR Pucks as part of a two-year, two-vehicle test with Swiss public
transport company PostBus Switzerland Ltd.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwX7HTFHB8w)
o Ford Motor Company’s autonomous driving results at the University of Michigan’s
Mcity, the world's first full-scaled simulated urban environment, with navigational
help from multiple Velodyne LiDAR sensors
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eurbzbp8VdY).
o A milestone for China’s autonomous driving effort, via a self-driving car from Baidu,
the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. The Baidu vehicle, a
modified BMW 3 Series, is the country’s first to have demonstrated full autonomy
under complex road conditions -- guided throughout by an HDL-64E 3D real-time
sensor from Velodyne.
o A live demo at the Velodyne booth showing data fusing of multiple VLP-16s using
PolySync software from AutonomouStuff (www.autonomoustuff.com). An
automotive operating system that generates a 360-degree real-time view from
multiple LiDAR sensors, cameras, and radar, PolySync facilitates the highest level
ADAS/autonomous driving features for increased comfort and added safety. Outside
the LVCC, a white Lincoln MKZ demo vehicle will sport two tightly integrated VLP16s, mobile eye camera assistance and on-board radar fused with the PolySync OS
and serving as an Autonomous Development Platform. The vehicle, available for
rides on request, will be based at Treasure Island Hotel mornings from Jan. 6-8 and
at the Westgate Hotel each afternoon.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contacts:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
Media Advisory
AT CES, KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THE WHITE LINCOLN MKZ,
MK
AS AUTONOMOUSTUFF PREVIEWS AUTOMATED RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT
VEHICLE, EQUIPPED WITH VELODYNE LiDAR
Demonstration Vehicle Neatly Integrates VLP
VLP-16 LiDAR Pucks – Will Spend CES
Mornings at Treasure Island, Afternoons at the Westgate Hotel Near LVCC North Hall
LAS VEGAS (Jan. 4, 2016) – Combine LiDAR sensors with AutonomouStuff’s automated
research development platform and you’ve got a striking marriage of technologies — an
ideal fit for CES 2016, courtesy of Velodyne LiDAR and AutonomouStuff.
The solutions will come together in a white Lincoln MKZ, with two Velodyne VLP-16
VLP
LiDAR
Pucks discreetly integrated just below each of the headlamps. Based aatt Treasure Island
Hotel mornings from Jan. 6-8
8 and at the Westgate Hotel each afternoon, the demonstration
vehicle will also be electronically controlled and outfitted with a camera.
AutonomouStuff, a Velodyne channel partner and Automotive Development Platform
Solution provider, is working to ad
advance
vance autonomous driving by providing platform
components that quickly enable vehicle automation. This includes the vehicle, 3D
perception sensors like LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging),, radar, cameras and
Harbrick’s PolySync™ middleware software. PolySync is an automotive focused software
platform that pulls together millions of data points a second. Polysync Studio provides a
real-time view from multiple perception sensors
sensors,, thereby facilitating autonomous driving
features for increased comfort and added safety. Representatives from Velodyne and
AutonomouStuff will be available for interviews and commentary alongside the Lincoln
MKZ.
“Our demonstration vehicle will enable members of the news media to get up close and
personal with technologies that are now on the cusp of transforming the experience of
driving,” said Bobby Hambrick, CEO, AutonomouStuff.
“Progress in autonomous vehicle development has been rapid precisely because companies
like Velodyne and AutonomouStuff have been able to integrate these vital building block
solutions quickly and effectively,” added Velodyne CEO Mike Jellen.
Velodyne LiDAR (LVCC, North Hall - 3416) has already transformed a market in hypergrowth mode. The company is recognized worldwide for developing high-definition LiDAR
sensors for autonomous vehicle applications, 3D mapping and surveying, robots on land
and sea and all manner of UAVs. Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors are used by virtually every car
manufacturer and tier 1 supplier in the business, as well as a few players outside the auto
industry.
To view the Lincoln MKZ at CES, please contact Jennifer Spoerri
([email protected]) or call Edge Communications, Inc. (323-469-3397).
About AutonomouStuff
AutonomouStuff is the world’s leader in supplying components used to enable automation.
Headquartered in the heart of Illinois, AutonomouStuff reaches the world as the leading singlesource supplier of autonomous components and engineering services. The company was founded
with the goal of bringing together the world’s best technologies to enable autonomy and increase
safety. For more information visit www.AutonomouStuff.com
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive Velodyne’s
newsletter, register here.
Media contacts:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Holly Tatum
[email protected]
(314) 270-2123
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
For Immediate Release
AS BAIDU’S SELF--DRIVING
DRIVING CAR HITS THE ROAD IN BEIJING,
VELODYNE LiDAR SENSOR GUIDES THE WAY
Outfitted with Velodyne HDL
HDL-64E 3D LiDAR Sensor, Modified BMW is
First Fully Autonomous Car in China; Traverses Complex 18.6 Mile Route
2016) – In a milestone for China’s autonomous driving effort, a
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Jan. 5, 201
self-driving car from Baidu, Inc
Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU) hass successfully completed rigorous, fully
autonomous tests on one route with mixed roads under a vari
variety
ety of environmental
conditions – guided throughout by an HDL-64E 3D real-time sensor from LiDAR pioneer
Velodyne. Baidu, Inc. is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider.
The Baidu vehicle, a modified BMW 3 Series, is the country’s first to have demonstrated full
autonomy under complex road conditions. The 18.6-mile drive through
rough highways and side
streets required execution of a comprehensive set of driving actions and accurately
responding to the driving environment. The road test followed conclusion of a June 2015
deal between Baidu and BMW to launch an autonomous car before the end of the year.
year
The test drive route began at Baidu's Beijing headquarters
eadquarters near Zhongguancun Science
Park in Haidian District, extend
extended to the G7 highway,, Fifth Ring Road, Olympic Park, then
looped back and ended at Baidu headquarters. The car demonstrated full autonomy over
the entirety of the route and successfully executed driving actions including making right
turns, left turns and U-turns,
turns, decelerati
decelerating
ng when detecting vehicles ahead, changing lanes,
passing other cars and merging into traffic from on
on-ramps
ramps and exiting from off-ramps.
off
The
vehicle reached a top speed of 62 miles per hour during the test runs.
"Fully autonomous driving under mixed road conditions is universally challenging, with
complexity further heightened by Beijing's road conditions and unpredictable driver
behavior," said Wang Jing, SVP of Baidu and General Manager of Baidu's newly established
Autonomous Driving Business Unit.
“Velodyne LiDAR has become the de facto standard for autonomous vehicles and we’re
honored to have assisted Baidu in its rigorous inaugural test,” said Wei Weng, Velodyne
Asia Sales Director. “Baidu’s autonomous car performed superbly, completing nuanced
maneuvers that included recognizing road lanes and the distance between – and speed – of
other vehicles. These are genuine breakthroughs for the company.”
Baidu's Institute of Deep Learning, one of the three labs under Baidu Research, has led the
autonomous driving project since 2013. Baidu AutoBrain, the core of Baidu's autonomous
driving technology, includes highly automated driving (HAD) maps, positioning, detection,
and smart decision-making and control. Relying heavily on Velodyne LiDAR sensors,
Baidu's proprietary HAD maps record 3D road data to within a few centimeters of accuracy
of vehicle positioning. With Baidu's leading object recognition and environment perception
technology, the car can detect, recognize, and follow other vehicles with high accuracy;
recognize road lanes; and accurately gauge distance and velocity.
Baidu AutoBrain showcases the company's advanced automotive vertical technologies, and
highlights its cutting-edge big data and advances in artificial intelligence. Baidu's
autonomous driving initiative is currently the only research project in China that has
passed the ISO 26262 functional safety standard.
The Baidu test run extends Velodyne’s recent strong showing in China. In November, 17 of
20 competitors in China’s Intelligent Vehicle Future Challenge (IVFC) relied on real time
multi-channel 3D LiDAR sensors from Velodyne – and the top five finishers all used the
company’s groundbreaking HDL-64E.
About Baidu
Baidu, Inc. is the leading Chinese language Internet search provider. As a technology-based media
company, Baidu aims to provide the best and most equitable way for people to find what they're
looking for. In addition to serving individual Internet search users, Baidu provides an effective
platform for businesses to reach potential customers. Baidu's ADSs trade on the NASDAQ Global
Select Market under the symbol "BIDU.” Currently, ten ADSs represent one Class A ordinary share.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contacts:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
For Immediate Release
VELODYNE LiDAR PUCKS TO SERVE AS ‘EYES’ FOR NAVYA DRIVERLESS
ARMA SHUTTLES; INITIAL TWO-VEHICLE TEST COULD PAVE WAY
FOR AUTONOMOUS MASS TRANSIT IN SWITZERLAND
Swiss Public Transit Provider PostBus Acquires First Two Fully Autonomous
Electric Vehicles, Equipped with Compact VLP-16 LiDAR Sensors
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Jan. 5, 2016) – In the first deployment of fully autonomous
production vehicles, driverless technology specialist NAVYA will deploy Velodyne’s realtime 16-channel 3D VLP-16 LiDAR Pucks as part of two-year, two-vehicle test with Swiss
public transport company PostBus Switzerland Ltd.
The fully autonomous, driverless and electric ARMA shuttles will be subject to two-phase
testing. The PostBus vehicles will initially be tested on a private, closed site through the
spring of 2016. Once pilot-testing is authorized, the two shuttles will be able to run on
public roads in the Swiss town of Sion, the capital of the Canton of Valais, and carry
passengers in autonomous mode (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwX7HTFHB8w).
French company NAVYA, specialists in driverless technology, unveiled its first
autonomous production vehicle in an exclusive world preview in late September. The
following week, the vehicle travelled on the open road for the very first time during the
Intelligent Transport Systems World Congress (ITS) in Bordeaux. The ARMA will transport
up to nine people at a maximum of 20 km/h through the streets of the capital of Valais.
NAVYA ARMA steering systems make use of a multitude of technologies simultaneously:
stereovision cameras, GPS navigation devices, infra-red sensors, inertial navigation
systems and odometry, in addition to LiDAR. Thanks to its sensors, NAVYA ARMA can
position itself to within a few centimeters of its desired target and can identify all types
of obstacles on the road – fixed, such as posts, and mobile, such as pedestrians -- and
signage, in both daylight and at night time.
“This is a turning point for our company and for autonomous technology,” said Diego Isaac,
marketing executive at NAVYA Technology in Lyon. “The system has been tested and now
will be operational for the public. Velodyne LiDAR is key to the 3D vision system for the
ARMA electric and autonomous shuttles.”
“The NAVYA ARMA shuttles, and their deployment by PostBus, represent a major milestone
for autonomous transportation,” said Erich Smidt, European Sales Director for Velodyne
LiDAR. “What is most remarkable is how these various technologies have matured and
converged in a solution that is safe, convenient and available to all. Velodyne LiDAR is the
very essence of proven technology, having collectively logged millions of hours of use time
in virtually every type of terrain and weather condition. A new era truly is beginning.”
ARMA shuttles will enable transport specialists to look into how they integrate into public
areas and enable them to test innovative modes of transport. The aim is to offer an
additional form of transportation on current routes to cover the needs of all users -- in
particular, those who live in areas not currently served by the public system.
About NAVYA
NAVYA is a French company specialized in developing innovative, smart and sustainable solutions.
NAVYA develops driverless, automated electric vehicles that are independent of all infrastructure.
These vehicles are a smart mode of transport and are therefore for the benefit of all citizens and
society. The vehicle is equipped with a multitude of sensors and an embedded system that enables
it to interact with its surroundings. It is also intended to provide efficient mobility solutions in
terms of space and energy and has been built on sustainable intermodality and multimodality.
NAVYA is supported by the “Robolution Capital” investment fund and presents an innovative and
ambitious solution that has been developed to take up challenges laid down by today’s society.
NAVYA benefits from major advances in technology in the driverless, electric vehicle sector thanks
to ten years’ experience in the field and a highly qualified R&D team. Christophe Sapet, its CEO, is
supported by a team of 30 people divided up between Lyon and Paris.
About PostBus
PostBus is the leading bus company in Switzerland's public transport network. With over 3,700
employees (inclunding the drivers of the PostBus companies) and around 2,200 vehicles at its
disposal, PostBus carries round 141 million passengers each year. It has a share capital of CHF 72
million. Its trademark – the three-tone horn and the yellow Postbuses – are part of
Switzerland's cultural identity. The PostBus brand embodies the values of reliability, security
and trust.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contacts:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
For Immediate Release
AT CAPTURING REALITY FORUM, LiDAR PIONEER VELODYNE DISPLAYS
MOBILE FEAST, AS MAPPING VIA REAL-TIME 3D LiDAR SENSORS TAKES OFF
Critical Mass of LiDAR Implementations Underscores
Robust Growth in Mobile Mapping Market; Velodyne Keynotes Austria Event
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Dec. 16, 2015) – The mobile mapping market is poised for
remarkable growth, thanks to breakthroughs in LiDAR technology, a host of new
applications, and the economics of the business – so said Erich Smidt, European Sales
Director for Velodyne LiDAR, during a keynote presentation at “Capturing Reality,” the 3D,
Laser Scanning & LiDAR Technologies Forum, held in late November in Salzburg, Austria.
The takeaway? According to Smidt, “implementations that can do more, across a greater
number of market segments, for far less money.” Backing up that conclusion were a halfdozen companies and applications deploying Velodyne’s multi-channel, real-time 3D LiDAR
sensors – the 32-channel HDL-32E and the lighter, more compact VLP-16 LiDAR Puck -- for
various mapping applications.
Capturing Reality focused on the use of laser scanning, 3D imaging and LiDAR to support
infrastructure development, BIM, transport, urban and coastal zone mapping, asset
management, 3D visualization and GIS applications. More than 400 delegates from 35
countries gathered to hear 46 presentations delivered by leading experts. Attendees also
visited the accompanying exhibition of more than 40 hardware/software manufacturers
and service providers. In addition, a series of live demonstrations and technical workshops
provided a very busy three-day schedule.
“Based on the product integrations at Capturing Reality, it’s clear that car-mounted mobile
mapping via real-time 3D LiDAR sensors has come of age,” Smidt said. “Advancements
in low-cost, real-time 3D LiDAR scanners on even more mobile platforms have expanded
the market in a big way. We’re now seeing integrations that deploy sensors weighing less
than a kilogram (830g) in UAV applications, including forest management, power line
monitoring, and oil & gas change management. New 3D LiDAR integrations are enlisting
multi-copters, fixed wing and small size gyro-copters. At the same time, multiple-channel
scanning is proving remarkably effective under turbulent conditions and for minimizing
shadows – what we often refer to as ‘looking around corners.’”
Among the hottest emerging areas within mobile mapping, according to Smidt, are
implementations without GPS/IMU that use SLAM (simultaneous localization and
mapping) algorithms, thereby reducing payload weight and extending flight times. These
SLAM algorithms are especially important for indoor mobile mapping solutions, with
sensors on backpacks and push carts creating 3D maps of interior real estate and other BIM
applications within minutes after scanning.
Among the highlights of the Forum:
Routescene, based in the U.K., presented its LiDARPod supporting both the HDL-32E and
the VLP-16 as options in a highly compact, sleek, carbon-fiber design. Combined with
Routescene’s LiDARViewer, raw data can quickly be turned into usable GIS information.
Routescene solutions are available in the automotive, marine, rail and UAV markets.
Topcon presented its second-generation mobile mapping solution, migrating from the IPS2 with Velodyne’s HDL-64E to the much more compact IP-S3 using the HDL-32E. The IPS3 obtains high-quality measurements with detailed shapes of objects based on 5MP 360°
cameras and 700,000 data points per second from the HDL-32E. An instant preview of the
acquired data is available immediately upon completion of a data collection session.
Backpack-based surveying. Velodyne’s compact VLP-16 LiDAR Puck was an integral part
of systems on display by Microsoft and Leica Geosystems. Leica’s backpack sported two
of Velodyne’s LiDAR Pucks in order to obtain almost full 360° coverage in horizontal and
vertical directions, with remarkable point cloud density. Microsoft emphasized that its
UltraCam Panther backpack solution sporting the lightweight VLP-16 can easily be
integrated with software packages like Orbit GT (below), resulting in industry-leading
workflows and maximum customer benefit.
Software provider Orbit GT (www.orbitgt.com) showed its Everything Mobile Mapping™
portfolio, an end-to-end application that uses Velodyne LiDAR point cloud data to cover
production, extraction and sharing/publishing in an integrated and optimized workflow.
VIAMETRIS, which develops innovative technologies in mobile 3D scanning and automatic
data recognition, presented an indoor mapping trolley system that can incorporate the
VLP-16 in an outdoor implementation. VIAMETRIS previously worked on a development
involving the Velodyne HDL-32E spread on a car’s roof. Using innovative 6DOF (Degrees of
Freedom) SLAM, VIAMETRIS is among the earliest champions, and adopters, of the VLP-16.
The company’s research team developed a backpack prototype based on a VLP-16 to
manage positioning in indoor and outdoor environments. Because the VLP-16 is a 3D
sensor, the positioning process is able to calculate a trajectory based on SLAM technology.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contact:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
For Immediate Release
VELODYNE 3D LiDAR SENSORS SWEEP TOP FIVE SPOTS IN
CHINA’S INTELLIGENT VEHICLE FUTURE CHALLENGE
Inspired by DARPA Grand Challenge, 7th Annual IFVC is ‘Velodyne Country,’
With Its LiDAR Sensors Guiding 17 of 20 Entries; Full Product Line Represented
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Nov. 30, 2015) – Coming tantalizingly close to a clean sweep,
Velodyne LiDAR sensors were literally everywhere during the Intelligent Vehicle Future
Challenge (IVFC) Nov. 16 in China’s Changshu city – an event showcasing autonomous
vehicles in action. Fully 17 of 20 competitors relied on real time multi-channel 3D LiDAR
sensors from industry leader Velodyne – and the top five finishers all used Velodyne’s
groundbreaking HDL-64.
Inspired by the DARPA Challenge, the IVFC is now in its seventh year, combining a
conference dedicated to self-driving vehicles and a competition along a varied 13-kilometer
course. The IVFC, underwritten by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, aims
to advance perceptions of the natural environment and decision-making for unmanned
vehicle platforms. Wei Weng, Velodyne Asia Sales Director, addressed that theme in his
presentation to the future roboticists in attendance.
Among the field of 20 teams, drawn from universities and research entities with some
corporate sponsorship, the Military Transportation University contingent again took first
place. Hailing from Tianjin, China, the MTU team won for the second consecutive year using
Velodyne’s HDL-64 as its core sensing technology. Although the HDL-64 sensor was the
winning technology, Velodyne is working to provide similar functionality in a form factor
and at a price suited to the automotive industry. The company is scheduled to deliver the
new sensor to automotive OEMs in the first quarter of 2016.
Changshu city, Jiangsu Province, is home to an economic development zone created
specifically to promote the automotive industry. The IVFC course included urban, off-road
and highway settings, with teams offered the option of skipping the off-road setting.
Vehicles were judged on “4S” -- safety, speed, “smartness” and smoothness. The 2015
contest added a new challenge: passing other vehicles, mirroring interest in automated
driving lane change features beginning to take hold in the automotive industry.
“For off-road settings, Velodyne LiDAR was the critical sensing technology to
simultaneously localize, map and plan a path through the unstructured environment,”
Weng said. “This grueling challenge put each LiDAR sensor in our product line -- the 16channel VLP-16 LiDAR Puck and the 32-channel HDL-32E, as well as the HDL-64 – through
a series of rigorous real-world tests. We’re delighted that the HDL-64 was able to assist the
top five finishers in such a substantial way, and that Velodyne was able to contribute to the
education and outcomes of a dozen other teams.”
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contact:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
For Immediate Release
VELODYNE KEYNOTES D.C. GEOSPATIAL MAPPING CONFERENCE,
OUTLINES FUTURE OF LiDAR IN TRANSPORTATION SECTOR
Geospatial Data Seen as Boon to Improving Transportation Infrastructure,
Panel Says; Mandli and Facet Technology Showcase Solutions
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Nov. 17, 2015) – As revamping America’s transportation
infrastructure claims a top spot on the nation’s agenda, LiDAR pioneer Velodyne has urged
that geospatial LiDAR data be part of the solution.
Speaking before the influential Geospatial Transportation and Mapping Association
(GMTA) 3rd Annual Meeting and TransData Expo 2015 on Nov. 11, Velodyne executive
Wolfgang Juchmann recommended that highway mapping and 3D geospatial LiDAR (Light
Detection and Ranging) data be used to expedite improvements in the country’s highways,
railways and waterways.
With vehicles deploying ever more sophisticated automating technologies, no single
technology is more responsible for that leap than LiDAR. Transportation agencies
increasingly use LiDAR for project surveying and/or extracting detailed asset and
diagnostic inventories from network-wide data collections. Throughout, Velodyne has
been in the forefront, developing LiDAR sensors dedicated to vehicle automation and
infrastructure mapping. The company’s sensors are found on the test vehicles of nearly
every major automaker and Tier 1 supplier, and used by mapping companies
Microsoft/Bing Maps, Nokia/HERE Maps and TomTom, among others.
In a high-profile panel discussion that followed the keynote -- addressing matters ranging
from regulations and standards to the need to educate the transportation industry on the
value of geospatial data -- Juchmann joined moderator Robert Dingess, GMTA head; Gavin
P. Gautreau, Senior Geotechnical Research Engineer, Louisiana Transportation Research
Center; Ray Mandli, President of Mandli Communications; and Darin Muncy, Market
Manager, Trimble Navigation, Inc.
Juchmann recapped the first decade of Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors, dating from the 2004-05
DARPA Grand Challenge, to Google’s early adoption, to its status today as de-facto standard
for high level autonomous driving. He highlighted a host of current applications, including
implementations by Google, Uber, Caterpillar and various front-line players in the
traditional automotive industry, and described application areas in which real-time 3D
LiDAR sensors may add tangible value: smart intersections, crash avoidance scenarios,
using on-board data for insurance assessments, and more.
Juchmann segued from current applications in automotive, mapping and robotics -- where
Velodyne is the acknowledged industry leader in 3D scanning -- to such cutting-edge
applications as real-time vertical clearance measurements. One case in point: LSA
Autonomy has developed a tool that combines a camera and Velodyne’s HLD-32E 3D LiDAR
sensor to detect wires that may obstruct special transports of oversize objects. The system
alerts the driver with acoustic and verbal warnings when clearances are insufficient.
Lauding mobile mapping pioneer and fellow panelist Ray Mandli of Mandli
Communications in Madison, Wis., Juchmann noted that when Bruce Hall -- brother of
Velodyne founder/CEO and HDL-64E inventor David Hall -- showed Mandli the HDL-64E in
2007, he immediately recognized its potential. Mandli has used Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors
ever since, starting with a Hummer-based rig that maps state-owned streets for various
state departments of transportation.
Texas and Utah rank as early adopters of LiDAR-driven mobile mapping, having realized
the benefits of digital capture ahead of most states, Mandli reported. Other states have
since followed suit, and Mandli’s rich data format has become the de facto standard for
DOT highway asset management. Many of the roads captured initially have been
recaptured using the much more compact HDL-32E, which now also includes calibrated
reflectivity features, enabling users to locate street signs, lane markings and license plates
easily.
Mandli’s company, which also offers a real-time tool for bridge vertical clearances, was
recently involved in pre-mapping possible routes to move a Space Shuttle fuel tank from its
original location to a future storage site in Florida. In this project, guaranteeing that the
chosen route did not interfere with the fuel tank was vital, and Velodyne’s HDL-32E proved
up to the task.
Underscoring LiDAR’s potential to boost the bottom line, Jamie Retterath of Facet
Technology, Eden Prairie, Minn., chronicled how his team is using Velodyne’s HDL-32E
sensors to determine reflectivity lifetimes of street signs, enabling the Minnesota
Department of Transportation to save money as it replaces signs that have degraded over
time.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contact:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
For Immediate Release
VELODYNE’S POPULAR VLP-16 3D LiDAR PUCK GUIDES ESIGELEC TEAM
TO WIN IN FIRST ARGOS CHALLENGE OIL & GAS ROBOTICS COMPETITION
As Team Prepares for Round Two in March, Robot Points Way to Total Autonomy
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Nov. 10, 2015) – Isolated and potentially vulnerable, offshore oil
drilling platforms would seem ideal destinations for next-generation robots.
That’s precisely the inspiration behind the ARGOS Challenge, an international robotics
competition designed to foster development of a new class of autonomous robots adapted
to surveillance and technical maintenance of oil and gas sites (http://www.argoschallenge.com/en/challenge#sthash.PVW4vvtc.dpuf). And, deploying its Viking Robot –
equipped with Velodyne’s VLP-16 3D real time LiDAR Puck -- a team from ISEEM,
ESIGELEC’s Research Institute in Rouen, France, has emerged victorious over finalists from
Japan, Austria, Spain and Switzerland.
ESIGELEC’s Team Vikings developed a 6DDL Monte Carlo Localization (MCL) based on VLP16 measurements, with an absolute position error less than 3cm and an orientation error
less than 0.3° @20Hz. Teams were evaluated on how well each addressed safety
requirements, mobility and navigation, data collection, and human machine interface
(HMI).
In the first round, the robot had to be able to achieve automatic inspection missions under
real conditions. Teams received the script two hours prior to the competition: the robot
then needed to pass through control points to read gauges monitoring the state of pressure
sensors and to determine whether the floodgates were open or closed. The robot needed
to traverse a 20-centimeter-high obstacle in order to automatically climb on or off the
platform, and encountered various unexpected obstacles as well. The ESIGELEC Vikings
robot was able to perform the first mission on automatic mode in less than four minutes,
far quicker than the 20 minutes allotted to the task.
“Clearly, our localization method based on VLP-16 measurements has been a key factor in
our success,” said Xavier Savatier, Ph.D., Head of the Instrumentation, IT & Systems
Department, ESIGELEC. “What stands out about the VLP-16 are its light weight and size,
and its 360° field of view, which helped its integration on the mobile Vikings robot. The
sensor’s 3D laser scan strongly reduces the perceptual aliasing problem, which is an issue
since there’s so much symmetry in the outdoor site.”
“The ARGOS Challenge dramatically and effectively demonstrates what robots equipped
with real time LiDAR sensors can achieve in the demanding oil and gas environment,” said
Wolfgang Juchmann, Director of North America Sales and Product Management, Velodyne.
“Over the duration of the challenge, robots will attempt vital tasks in simulated offshore or
onshore platforms, with total autonomy and under the most extreme conditions. Those are
precisely the conditions for which we developed our multi-channel 3D LiDAR sensors.”
In time, robots will be capable of performing inspection tasks, detecting anomalies and
intervening in emergency situations. All of the autonomous missions require precise
localization, an especially difficult task to perform in an industrial outdoor setting, with
pipes in all directions and no walls to define the space.
The ARGOS Challenge research and development process runs for three years and includes
three rounds of competition at the test site in Lacq, Midi-Pyrénées, in southern France. The
difficulty level will increase during the second round competition in March. At that time,
robots will be expected to identify unusual sounds such as gas leaks or cavitation bubbles
inside the pipes, and check for unknown obstacles or fire extinguishers. Tests will take
place on the upper levels of the structure, requiring robots to ascend and descend flights of
stairs.
ESIGELEC provides training for engineering students in an array of fields, including
electronics, information technologies, automation and robotics. ESIGELEC is part France’s
Grandes écoles academic institutions, which specialize in engineering and sciences. It is
under supervision of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research and jointly managed
by the chamber of commerce of Rouen, the Society of Engineers in Electrical Engineering
and a consortium of private companies.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contacts:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
For Immediate Release
FOR SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, VELODYNE 3D LiDAR SENSOR ENABLES
EMBRY-RIDDLE ENTRY TO TAKE FIRST PLACE IN ROBOBOAT COMPETITION
Popular VLP-16 LiDAR Puck Guides the Way Toward Second Win in Maritime Event
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (November 4, 2015) – Smart things come in small packages.
Just ask the RoboBoat team from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
(http://roboticsassociation.org/), which successfully defended its title as champions in the
eighth annual RoboBoat Competition, held this summer in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Outfitted with Velodyne’s compact 16-channel 3D VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, the pilot-less
Embry-Riddle vessel crossed the finish line ahead of the 15 other teams participating in the
event, which was sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), the Association for
Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Foundation (AUVSI) and several industry
partners. The VLP-16 from Velodyne’s LiDAR Division (www.velodynelidar.com) is part of
a growing family of solutions built around the company’s Light Detection and Ranging
technology.
A year ago, Embry-Riddle finished first with a boat that incorporated Velodyne’s 32channel HDL-32E LiDAR sensor. “Our performance in the RoboBoat competition was made
possible for the second year in a row by the amazing Velodyne sensor,” said first-year
student and team lead Kelsey Klein. “The Velodyne VLP-16 puck is an integral part of our
autonomous vessel, and pairing it with our robust identification and classification
algorithms gave us the edge to successfully complete the aquatic obstacle course.”
Hailing from places as far-flung as Indonesia, Taiwan, and South Korea, teams were
evaluated based on the performance and designs of their student-built vessels. The
mandatory tasks measured vessel speed, navigation and propulsion. Among the other
challenges: automated docking, obstacle avoidance, launch and recovery from a moving
boat, return to dock, and acoustic beacon positioning.
“The Embry-Riddle team’s success was largely due to Velodyne’s continued support, this
time with the quick turnaround of a VLP-16 unit,” said Hitesh Patel, former team member
and now a consultant. “Last year, we were the first team to debut the HDL-32E and this
year, with Velodyne’s state-of-the-art sensors, we continue to prove the benefits of
Velodyne LIDAR products in today's autonomous technology applications. The team loved
the VLP-16 sensors just as much as they did the HDL-32E. Having used the HDL-32E made
it easier for the team to integrate the VLP-16 onto the RoboBoat platform.”
“Our 3D LiDAR sensors guide autonomous vehicles on land, on the seas and in air, and our
hats are off to Embry-Riddle University for retaining its crown,” said Wolfgang Juchmann,
Director of North America Sales and Product Management, Velodyne LiDAR division.
“We’re recognized worldwide for developing real-time LiDAR sensors for all kinds of
autonomous applications, including 3D mapping and surveillance. With a continuous 360degree sweep of its environment, the lightweight, extremely affordable VLP-16 is scanning
power in a pint-size package – and is ideal for taking on obstacle courses, wherever they
may be.”
Added Kelly Cooper, program officer, sea warfare and weapons, ship systems and
engineering research division, Office of Naval Research, “the [RoboBoat] course provides
students with realistic maritime environment missions. The successes and challenges
students experience via the competition are good preparation for a future in engineering.
From completing a run to making onsite adjustments, RoboBoat offers students a first-hand
look at what real-life engineers go through when developing and testing navy technologies
for our sailors and Marines.”
About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world’s largest, fully accredited university specializing
in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 70
baccalaureate, master’s and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts & Sciences, Aviation,
Business, Engineering and Security & Intelligence. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential
campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., through the Worldwide Campus with more
than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and through online
programs. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in
partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more
information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com.
Media contacts:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
[email protected]
(323) 469-3397
For Immediate Release
AT PRESTIGIOUS NAS WORKSHOP, LiDAR PIONEER VELODYNE SKETCHES
FUTURE OF LOW-ALTITUDE, LOW-COST UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLES
LiDAR Mobility, Form Factor to Define Next-Generation UAVs, Velodyne’s Seto Says
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (Nov. 2, 2015) – Low-altitude, low-cost unmanned aerial vehicles are
poised for a genuine breakthrough across a range of industries – and compact LiDAR
sensors of unprecedented mobility will make that happen.
So predicted Wayne Seto, Product Line Manager for industry leader Velodyne LiDAR, in
remarks during a mid-October workshop in Washington, D.C., organized by the National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (http://www.nationalacademies.org/).
Seto spoke before the National Academies’ Mapping Science Committee, a unit of the Board
on Earth Sciences and Resources, on the ways in which high accuracy LiDAR will define
next-generation UAVs and transform applications from mapping to robotics.
According to Seto, low-flying, data-rich LiDAR-equipped UAVs will be especially promising
in agricultural and forestry applications. In the wake of new FAA regulations governing
commercial UAV flights, legal ground rules are now in place to allow surveying and
overflight of agricultural areas using pre-planned UAV routes.
“The goal isn’t to have someone control the UAV as it flies over the field – the goal is to use
pre-programmed GPS data of the field, and then let the UAV just do it,” Seto said.
“Quantitative LiDAR can indicate where the irrigation system isn’t working properly, where
growth is exceptionally good or isn’t happening, where you need more fertilizer, and so on.
The same approach applies in the mining industry. UAVs can use preprogrammed routes to
fly over, and actually measure, extraction of coal or any other resource taken out of the
earth. Likewise, in the construction industry, where regular 3D measurements can compare
the current status of building projects with plans and timelines proposed by the builder.”
Seto addressed recent breakthroughs at NOAA, the National Oceanographic and
Atmospheric Administration, combining sonar (under water) with LiDAR (above water).
Since NOAA routinely measures waterways using multi-channel sonar, combining these
multi-beam sonar sensors with Velodyne’s multi-beam LiDAR, above the water’s surface,
was a natural next step. Citing the compact size and affordability of Velodyne’s 16-channel
VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, Seto suggested that it was now feasible to expand NOAA’s capabilities
– and those of other agencies -- to measure coastlines and water infrastructure in a single
pass. Software from HyPack (http://www.hypack.com/) combines multi-beam sonar with
multi-beam LiDAR using the GPS/IMU infrastructure that is already onboard NOAA’s
research vessels.
Among the workshop’s other highlights:
o NASA Ames Lunar Rover. Consistent with the workshop’s focus on technology
deployment by government agencies, the spotlight was on NASA Ames Lunar Rover.
NASA uses Velodyne’s HDL-32E 360° LiDAR sensor for object detection and collision
avoidance in uncharted territories, including simulated surfaces of the Moon and
Mars.
o Robotic Perception: 3D Mapping. On this planet, discovering and charting unknown
military targets and potentially hostile compounds represents an emerging area for
LiDAR mapping. In a demonstration with a small earth-bound rover, 5D Robotics
(http://5drobotics.com/) showed how Velodyne’s HDL-32E captures the layout of a
compound from the inside, while keeping soldiers out of harm’s way. In parallel, the
5D Robotics application captures data from low-altitude UAVs, creating a combined
3D model of the compound —before military personnel need to enter the facility.
o Military Reconnaissance. Aerovironment (https://www.avinc.com/) relies on LiDAR
technology for reconnaissance in military operations. Velodyne’s Seto screened a
video of Aerovironment’s PUMA fixed-wing low-altitude drone, equipped with
Velodyne’s HDL-32E, capturing a remote military airfield. LiDAR data is especially
appropriate for quantitative measurements, particularly determining dimensions of
storage facilities and estimating volumes of stockpiled materials. The same
Aerovironment technology monitors BP oil and gas pipelines in Alaska, for early
detection and quantification of changes that could result in potentially devastating
ruptures. Hundreds of miles of pipelines can be monitored remotely with AV’s
PUMA – with no human involvement on the ground.
o UAV-Based LiDAR Mapping. Seto highlighted a number of applications dedicated to
UAV-based forest and vegetation measurement. Phoenix Aerial
(http://www.phoenix-aerial.com/) demonstrated several examples that
underscored the superiority of LiDAR over photogrammetry. In one case, Seto
showed that trees, bushes and other unstructured vertical vegetation could be
captured only through LiDAR technology; a video from Phoenix Aerial, confirmed
how Velodyne’s multiple returns were able to detect both a tree canopy and the
riverbed underneath. In addition to enabling calculation of forest potential, the
technology can also determine flood scenarios, were the river to ever spill over its
banks.
o LiDAR: Penetration of Vegetation. At the workshop, True Reality GeoSpatial
Solutions (http://www.liforest.com/), affiliated with UC Merced, focused on forest
management market opportunities. In a video, the company showed an octocopter
equipped with Velodyne’s lightest and most affordable LiDAR sensor, the 16channel VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, capturing a forest and determining height, crown size
and other relevant data points. The company’s forest management application
extends to studies of grassland and wildlife population balance, where LiDAR-based
vegetation measurements have significantly reduced the amount of work required
of research teams – who formerly had to measure grasslands by hand.
Seto, who recently joined Velodyne, brings to the company 15 years of experience in
product marketing and product management. He previously worked at Intersil, Fairchild
Semiconductor, Amalfi Semiconductor and WJ Communications, and has a background in
LiDAR, laser headlights, displays, RF and power management supporting diverse markets
such as automotive, industrial, wireless infrastructure equipment and consumer. Seto
successfully grew product lines at his previous companies, moving from startup mode to
major revenue contributor. His expertise encompasses both inbound and outbound
marketing to commercial and enterprise customers, working directly with them to define
next-generation products.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
For Immediate Release
AT UAS/UAV MAPPING FORUM, LIDAR PIONEER VELODYNE PREVIEWS UAV
REMOTE SENSING USING MULTI-BEAM 3D LiDAR
-- AND SOLIDIFIES MARKET LEADERSHIP
On First Anniversary of Its Unveiling, VLP-16 LiDAR Puck
Surpasses 1,000 Unit Sales Milestone
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (October 13, 2015) – For the second year running, at ASPRS’s
UAS/UAV Mapping Forum 2015 in Reno (http://uasreno.org), Velodyne LiDAR teamed up
with the industry’s leading players to put new implementations on the map. The company
previewed a concept – remote sensing using multi-beam 3D LiDAR -- that figures to extend
its market leadership. And as if to underscore that leadership, Velodyne made good on a
prediction from the 2014 show.
Unveiled last year as a “product of the future,” Velodyne’s VLP-16 LiDAR Puck -- a 16channel, real-time 3D LiDAR sensor -- has literally taken off. At UAS/UAV Mapping Forum
on Sept. 29-30, the company announced that more than 1,000 VLP-16 sensors have been
sold since the product’s formal unveiling at last fall’s event. A substantial portion of those
sales have involved UAV applications, thanks to the product’s affordable pricing, extremely
light weight, compact size and multiple-beam support. As predicted, the Velodyne LiDAR
Puck has dramatically expanded the use of 3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging)
technology sensors in robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles and factory automation
applications. The VLP-16 is substantially smaller than anything else on the market and has
established a new standard for affordability.
The two days of presentations, panel discussions, exhibits and real-time UAV flights drew
500+ attendees and 50 exhibitors, from UAV manufacturers and flight controllers, to
payload options specialists, processing software professionals and academics. The event
was again organized by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
(ASPRS), the Imaging and Geospatial Information Society -- a scientific non-profit
association with a mission to advance knowledge and improve understanding of mapping
sciences, to promote the responsible applications of photogrammetry, remote sensing,
geographic information systems (GIS), and supporting technologies.
In his presentation on the latest in UAV-based remote sensing, Velodyne Director of Sales
Wolfgang Juchmann described the multiple beam concept as “especially useful for UAV
applications, since it makes the system more gust-proof, minimizes shadows, increases
penetration into vegetation to the level of recognizing individual branches and leaves, and
provides highest point cloud densities since multiple beams measure the same area from
different angles.”
Velodyne LiDAR highlighted a range of applications ranging from forest management, to oil
& gas pipe monitoring to military reconnaissance, with integrations from companies like
Phoenix Aerial Systems, using Velodyne’s 32-channel HDL-32E and the VLP-16 on DJI1000; Aerovironment, with the HDL-32E on fixed-wing PUMA; and TRGS, with the HDL-32E
and VLP-16 on Octocopter. Juchmann additionally showed 3D point clouds of vegetation
and power lines using 3D multi-beam LiDAR -- applications that photogammetry simply
cannot handle.
With size, weight and price top-of-mind for attendees attuned to matters of UAV payloads,
Juchmann addressed all three in a single pass during a panel discussion of sensor experts,
pulling an HDL-32E sensor out of his jacket and the LIDAR Puck out of his pants pocket.
“There’s a great deal of interest in this market generally and in the Velodyne Puck class of
product specifically,” he said. “What’s new isn’t simply recording data with the sensor but
using real-time, 3D LIDAR sensors to actually help avoid collisions – in the air, to stay clear
of other UAVs, and likewise on the ground, to find a suitable landing site when faced with
the unknown, in a military hot zone or an area in the wilderness.”
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
For Immediate Release
AT INTERGEO, VELODYNE’S REAL-TIME 3D LIDAR SCANNERS
MAP THE WORLD VIA LAND, SEA AND AIR
As Scanning Goes Mobile, LiDAR Leader Shows 12 Diverse Integrations
At World’s Largest Surveying/Mapping Show
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (October 6, 2015) – No longer tethered to tripods and static data
capture, mapping and surveying have gone mobile, thanks in part to innovative
implementations built around Velodyne LiDAR’s compact 3D real-time sensors -- as the
company demonstrated in 12 diverse integrations at the recent InterGEO 2015 in Stuttgart,
Germany.
Drawing attendees from around the globe, InterGEO 2015, held Sept. 15-17, is the world’s
largest surveying and mapping tradeshow, showcasing the latest technologies to capture
the world in 3D.
Where surveyors have traditionally mounted LiDAR scanners on tripods to get the job
done, mobility is now the watchword, with lightweight scanners positioned on mobile
platforms, gathering data while continuously moving through the environment -- without
stopping traffic or placing measuring crews in harm’s way. Mobile vehicles equipped with
3D LiDAR, video and GPS/IMU are already a common sight in major cities, soon to be
joined by backpack-based mobile mapping for areas vehicles can’t reach – and much more,
as InterGEO previewed:
o Backpack-based surveying. At InterGEO, Velodyne’s compact VLP-16 LiDAR Puck –
a lightweight 16-channel 3D, real-time scanner -- proved an integral part of systems
on display by Microsoft and Leica Geosystems. Leica’s backpack -- which received
the prestigious InterGEO Wichmann Award during this year’s show -- sported two of
Velodyne’s LiDAR Pucks in order to obtain almost full 360° coverage in horizontal
and vertical directions, with remarkable point cloud density.
o Vehicle-based mapping. Leica also displayed its established Pegasus II vehiclebased mobile mapping solution, with the optional Velodyne HDL-32E 32-channel
sensor on board. Topcon (https://www.topconpositioning.com/mass-data-and-volumecollection/mobile-mapping/ip-s3), another major player exhibiting vehicle-based
mobile mapping solutions, showcased its IP-S3, which also deployed Velodyne’s
HDL-32E, in combination with a camera and its world class, in-house navigational
equipment.
o Segway-driven mapping. Swedish company Satlab
(http://www.satlabgps.com/en.aspx) turned heads on the InterGEO show floor with a
novel, real-time 3D integration of Velodyne’s compact VLP-16 on a Segway,
complementing its vehicle-based mapping solution, also on display at InterGEO,
built around the HDL-32E.
o Marine implementations. In addition to displaying an HDL-32E-based mobile
mapping solution under its Zenith brand, Dutch innovator Seabed
(http://www.seabed.nl/) combined Velodyne’s 16-channel LiDAR Puck with a multichannel sonar scanner, enabling 3D measurements above the water line – and,
submerged, below the water line.
o Airborne mapping. A number of system integrators at InterGEO offered airborne
LiDAR solutions, among them leading UAV provider Phoenix Aerial Systems
(http://www.phoenix-aerial.com/). Phoenix Aerial showcased its third generation AL3
platform using the HDL-32E with application examples ranging from power line
inspection to oil & gas and in the mining sector. Phoenix’s attractively priced
“Scout” system sported a lightweight VLP-16 for similarly demanding applications.
o Forest management. Specializing in UAV-based LiDAR solutions used for forest
management, LiForest’s Li-Air (http://www.liforest.com/?p=14132) captured point
clouds with both Velodyne’s sensors, the HDL-32E and the VLP-16. The Li-Air
solution analyzes the point clouds to isolate individual trees and establish databases
that contain tree height, volume and density measurements -- all attributes deemed
vital when managing a commercial forest effectively.
“As InterGEO demonstrated conclusively, the power and versatility of our LiDAR sensors is
unprecedented in the industry,” said Mike Jellen, Velodyne president. “Across a range of
market segments and applications, our scanners are providing essential enabling
technology. As our relationships with our integration partners continue to grow and
deepen, we look forward to innovating in ways that enrich users and build markets.”
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media contact:
Laurel Nissen
[email protected]
(408) 465-2871
For Immediate Release
IN ANTICIPATION OF NEXT GENERATION SENSORS FOR AUTO SECTOR,
INDUSTRY LEADER VELODYNE LiDAR SCALES FOR MASS PRODUCTION
Company Prepares for Smaller Form Factors, 3D Visualization for Driver Safety –
Shows Preliminary Design Concept
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (August 31, 2015) – Technology innovator Velodyne LiDAR today
announced that the company is preparing to scale up for high-volume manufacturing of
sensors for automotive applications, including self-driving cars.
Velodyne is recognized worldwide for creating the standard for high-definition, real-time
3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors for autonomous vehicle applications,
establishing the critical enabling technology for the industry. Velodyne introduced LiDAR
during the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge and has since optimized it for self-driving cars.
Today, Velodyne’s multi-channel 3D sensors are used by virtually every car manufacturer
and tier 1 supplier in the auto industry, as well as for heavy equipment, trucks, and marine
navigation.
Velodyne is now poised for mass production of its VLP-16 LiDAR Puck and successor
products, according to Mike Jellen, company president. Announced last fall, the VLP-16 is a
16-channel real-time 3D LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and significantly
less expensive than previous generation sensors. In a bid to bolster auto safety, Velodyne
will also develop and market LiDAR sensors aimed at alerting drivers to potential hazards
via 3D visualization, and has released a preliminary design concept.
In recent months, Velodyne has taken a series of actions designed to accelerate the
company’s move from a market leading innovator with recognized customers worldwide,
to a sophisticated organization known for industry-leading business practices and rigorous
business process improvement.
In addition to naming Jellen -- a seasoned industrial automation executive with extensive
global and domain experience -- president and COO, Velodyne recently appointed Pieter
Kerstens Vice President of Engineering. Kerstens is a 30-year veteran of high tech
engineering and manufacturing management within the U.S., Europe and Asia, for
organizations that include TDK, Xicato, IBM, Philips and Hitachi, among others. This
summer, the company also appointed a senior executive to oversee its mass production
capabilities.
Velodyne recently set up a production-line style manufacturing process for the VLP-16 and
subsequent products, a line that can be adapted to robotics and automation while ensuring
automotive-grade reliability.
“We have long been the industry’s reference point in LiDAR, delivering innovative,
versatile products, based on proven technology, to some 500 customers thus far,” Jellen
said. “Within the last eight years, vehicles equipped with Velodyne LiDAR sensors are
estimated to have carried in excess of 3,000 drivers and traveled more than 50 million
incident-free miles. That’s the track record of an undisputed market leader.”
The market analyst firm Frost & Sullivan honored the company and the VLP-16 with its
2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) Sensors
Product Leadership Award, reporting that Velodyne “has developed the right product at
the right price, giving them a critical competitive advantage in the market (with a) “a
'best of both worlds' offering.”
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience during
this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64 highresolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media Contact
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
(323) 469-3397
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
REAL EARTH PARTNERS WITH VELODYNE TO LOWER COST OF ENTRY
FOR CREATING HIGH RES LiDAR MAPS -- WITHOUT GPS
Alliance Seen Enabling Growth of New Applications;
Collaboration Supports Velodyne’s Full Line of Real-Time 3D LiDAR Sensors
MORGAN HILL, Calif. and PITTSBURGH (August 13, 2015) – In a move aimed at stimulating
the growth of new mapping applications, Real Earth (http://realearth.us) has partnered
with Velodyne LiDAR to lower the cost of entry for creation of high quality LiDAR-sourced
maps – without reliance on GPS.
As part of the collaboration, Real Earth will offer users free access to its web-based
software, which processes Velodyne LiDAR data and converts it into maps. Because costly
GPS and inertial navigation systems are not required, these next-generation maps are
significantly more affordable than those developed with standard mapping systems. Real
Earth’s web-based service (http://realearth.us/mapmaker) enables users to upload laser
scans and receive dense 3D reconstructions in return. Standard CAD tools can then view
and manipulate the registered point clouds.
The Real Earth/Velodyne collaboration supports all three models of Velodyne’s highdefinition, real-time 3D LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors – the original 64channel HDL-64E, the popular 32-channel HDL-32E, and the newest, cost-competitive
model, the 16-channel VLP-16 LiDAR Puck. For applications where the sensors are moving
rapidly, Real Earth’s algorithms take advantage of the information from the HDL-32E’s IMU
(Inertial Moment Unit), adding another layer of robustness.
Real Earth develops software for 3D laser scan registration and real-time position
estimation that can be deployed on hand-held, ground vehicle, or aerial platforms. The
real-time software is simple to use— sensors and systems can be standalone, without
requiring synchronization of external GPS receivers and IMUs and thereby require little
integration effort.
Velodyne is recognized worldwide as the standard for LiDAR sensors for autonomous
vehicle applications, having created enabling technology for the industry. Velodyne
introduced multi-channel, real-time 3D LiDAR during the 2004-2005 DARPA Grand
Challenge and has since optimized the technology for a range of other applications, from
unmanned aerial vehicles and mobile mapping to robotics and factory automation.
“The speed and ease with which these LiDAR maps are created is nothing short of
remarkable,” said Dave Duggins, Project Manager at Real Earth. “Imagine someone walking
through a 12-story parking structure and five minutes later having a stunning registered
3D point cloud. That’s what we’re so excited about.”
“Our collaboration with Real Earth represents a real breakthrough in mobile mapping,”
said Wolfgang Juchmann, Ph.D., Velodyne Director of Sales & Marketing. “Velodyne’s new
VLP-16 LiDAR Puck is a perfect fit for this web service. The Puck’s compact size and light
weight keeps it mobile and its market-leading price keeps the cost of entry low. For
customers who need higher accuracy, the HDL-32E is ideal, with its built-in IMU sensors
that augment the SLAM algorithms in high-velocity applications, like handheld or on UAVs.”
Users can log laser scans using Velodyne’s open-source VeloView software, Real Earth’s
drivers from their web site, or other open-source drivers, including those from Robotic
Operation System (www. ros.org) or the HDL-Grabber by PointCloudLibrary
(www.openperception.org). Up to 1 GB of Velodyne LiDAR data can be uploaded via a web
interface for free, and registered point clouds are available and accessible anywhere within
a few hours via a link emailed to the user. Real Earth plans to license its software to
produce maps for larger volume customers or to provide real-time pose estimates for
robotic guidance and navigation.
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
About Real Earth
Real Earth is a Pittsburgh based company commercializing software for rapid 3D reconstruction
using laser scanners. Real Earth is creating software tools to address the mapping needs of several
industries: architecture, real estate, insurance, mining and agriculture. In addition, Real Earth
software can be used to estimate accurate 6-DOF motion without need for retrofitting the
environment. For the latest information on new products, and services, please visit
www.realearth.us or email [email protected].
Media Contacts
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
(323) 469-3397
[email protected]
Dave Duggins
Product Manager
Real Earth, Inc.
(412) 621-4300
[email protected]
For Immediate Release
VELODYNE’S 3D LiDAR SENSOR HELPS EUROPEAN COMMISSION
JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE WIN INDOOR LOCALIZATION COMPETITION
JRC Outshines 27 Others at Microsoft Event; Velodyne HDL
HDL-32E
32E Sensor
Showcased in System Designed to Inspect Nuclear Facilities Worldwide
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (July 28, 2015) – A team of researchers from the Joint Research
Centre (JRC),, the European Commission's in
in-house
house science service, has outperformed a
global mix of 27 teams from academia and industry, achieving the best overall result at a
recent Microsoft-sponsored
sponsored indoor localization competition in Seattle – and 3D, real-time
real
LiDAR sensor technology from Velodyne proved to be key to the victory.
Velodyne is the worldwide leader in the development of real
real-time,
time, 3D LiDAR sensors for
robotics,
ics, autonomous vehicles and an array of other applications, including mobile
mapping and UAVs. With a continuous 360
360-degree
degree sweep of its environment updated up to
20 times per second, Velodyne’s lightweight sensors capture data at a rate of almost a
million
ion points per second, within a range of 100 meters.
The competition, organized annually by Microsoft, gathers teams to evaluate the
performance of various localization systems. Providing accurate position information on
people and objects indoors, wher
wheree GPS signals are not available, has long been a challenge
for governments and industry. The competition was carried out in two categories -infrastructure-based
based systems, pegged to installed radio beacons, and infrastructure-free
infrastructure
systems, which rely only on sensor readings. The JRC competed in the infrastructure-free
infrastructure
category, where it finished in the top spot, with a localization error of 0.2 m, which also
surpassed the best result in the infrastructure-based category.
For the competition, the JRC used its proprietary Sensor Tracking and Mapping (STeAM)
system, a backpack-mounted device that integrates Velodyne’s HDL-32E real-time, 3D
LiDAR sensor, which acquires 10 frames per second as the user explores the environment.
The on-board software processes the 3D data, generating the current location and a map of
the environment in real-time. A patent application for JRC’s technology is pending.
The JRC developed STeAM for nuclear safeguards applications to provide location
information and change monitoring inside nuclear facilities. The system can enable nuclear
inspectors to associate all measurements and observations made during an inspection with
the corresponding location within the nuclear facility and thereby facilitate subsequent
analysis and future inspections. Furthermore, by comparing the 3D maps generated at two
subsequent facility inspections, STeAM can highlight structural changes that might be
indicative of undeclared modifications or additional capacities within this facility. The JRC
creates tools for inspectors from Euratom, Europe’s nuclear monitoring agency, and the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which inspects some 700 facilities worldwide
each year. For more than a decade, the JRC has been working with 3D laser scanning
technology, to verify design information within nuclear facilities.
“With the LiDAR-equipped backpack system, our team was able to gather and process 3D
data in real time, for immediate feedback– and that’s why it was possible to win the
Microsoft competition,” said Erik Wolfart, Scientific Officer at the European Commission,
Joint Research Centre, in Ispra, Italy. The STeAM system will be deployed for a facilities
inspection in November 2015 for the first time. “In the past, it took a team of eight
inspectors one week, using scanners in fixed positions. Enlisting a two-person team for a
single day will be so much faster and more efficient.”
“As this application shows, mobile 3D LiDAR is the new critical element to effective and
efficient inspections of nuclear facilities all over the world,” said Wolfgang Juchmann, Ph.D.,
Velodyne Director of Sales & Marketing. “The mobility of our sensors – the HDL-32E and
especially the VLP-16 LiDAR Puck – means faster inspections, and the 360 degrees of
freedom our sensors deliver is ideal for mobile/backpack based data-gathering inside large
closed rooms. While Velodyne is already the established leader for vehicle based mobile
mapping, backpack based indoor mapping, without GPS accessibility, opens the door to
scanning buildings from the inside, and leads to an array of new and exciting applications.”
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder/inventor David Hall competed
in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his experience
during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed the HDL-64
high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact, lightweight HDL-32E
sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16-
channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost & Sullivan has honored the company
and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance
System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007, Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as
the leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of real-time LiDAR sensor technology used in a
variety of commercial applications including autonomous vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D
mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more information,
visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to receive
Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
For Immediate Release
FROST & SULLIVAN HONORS VELODYNE LiDAR WITH
2015 NORTH AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE ADAS SENSORS
PRODUCT LEADERSHIP AWARD
Prestigious Analyst Firm Calls VLP-16 Puck
‘Right Product at the Right Price’
MORGAN HILL, Calif. (March 24, 2015) – Velodyne LiDAR announced today that
Frost & Sullivan, the prestigious market research firm, has honored the company with its
2015 North American Automotive ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) Sensors
Product Leadership Award.
In a 12-page report, the analyst firm, which is based in San Antonio, lauded Velodyne’s
new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, a 16-channel real-time 3D LiDAR sensor that is both
substantially smaller and significantly less expensive than previous generation sensors.
“Frost & Sullivan feels that Velodyne has developed the right product at the right price,
giving them a critical competitive advantage in the market,” noted the report, issued
by the firm’s Best Practices Research Group. “By amalgamating best-in-class quality,
superior functionality, unrivaled reliability and affordability, Velodyne has truly
engineered a 'best of both worlds' offering.”
“As an important go-to resource for corporate decision-making, Frost & Sullivan evaluates
technologies across the spectrum, which is why its word carries such great weight as
organizations make procurement decisions,” said Wolfgang Juchmann, Director of Sales &
Marketing, Velodyne LiDAR. “We’re honored and delighted by the recognition, but even
more, we greatly appreciate the depth and quality of Frost & Sullivan’s analysis of the
VLP-16.”
According to the report, “the VLP-16 offers tremendous growth potential in the future,
with sales expected to cross several thousands of units when autonomous vehicles
become a norm in the industry. LiDAR systems used in demonstrator vehicles cost
between $75,000 and $85,000; in contrary, Velodyne's VLP-16 is roughly $8,000, onetenth the cost of premium-priced LiDAR systems… To be a product leader, companies
must introduce innovative and highly effective solutions that address key industry
challenges. Frost & Sullivan is convinced that Velodyne has accomplished this with its
VLP-16 sensor system.”
Frost & Sulliivan observes that “market trends have driven sensor manufacturers to
charge a premium price for their different sensors, yet [our] analysis shows that this
premium pricing is turning OEMs off. As vehicles become more and more
autonomous, companies that can bridge the gap between cost and quality will become
the industry's 'preferred vendors.’ Despite the current market being in a nascent
stage, 9 out of 10 OEMs use a Velodyne sensor, giving clear evidence of the company's
excellent reputation in the industry.”
Summing up, Frost & Sullivan concludes that the VLP-16 “is on par with 64-channel
systems in terms of its reliability and functionality yet it is much more affordable,
increasing the system's adoption potential. The VLP-16… was developed with the
purpose of catering to mass-market consumers, boasting essential features such as realtime, 360°, 3D distance, and calibrated reflectivity measurements… By meeting key
market needs and concomitantly offering the best of both worlds, Frost & Sullivan firmly
believes Velodyne's solution to be the most compelling ADAS sensor in the Automotive
space today.”
About Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 and based in California’s Silicon Valley, Velodyne Acoustics, Inc. is a diversified
technology company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and real-time
LiDAR sensors. The company’s LiDAR division evolved after founder and inventor David Hall
competed in the 2004-05 DARPA Grand Challenge using stereovision technology. Based on his
experience during this challenge, Hall recognized the limitations of stereovision and developed
the HDL64 high-resolution LiDAR sensor. Velodyne subsequently released its compact,
lightweight HDL-32E sensor, available for many applications including UAVs, and the new VLP-16
LiDAR Puck, a 16-channel real-time LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and
dramatically less expensive than previous generation sensors. Market research firm Frost &
Sullivan has honored the company and the VLP-16 with its 2015 North American Automotive
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) Sensors Product Leadership Award. Since 2007,
Velodyne’s LiDAR division has emerged as a leading developer, manufacturer and supplier of realtime LiDAR sensor technology used in a variety of commercial applications including autonomous
vehicles, vehicle safety systems, 3D mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. For more
information, visit www.velodynelidar.com. For the latest information on new products and to
receive Velodyne’s newsletter, register here.
Media Contacts
Ken Greenberg
Edge Communications, Inc.
(323) 469-3397
[email protected]
Velodyne LiDAR @ CES 2016
Timeline: From Innovation to Integration
Velodyne's expertise with laser distance measurement began with the company’s
participation in the 2004 Grand Challenge sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA). Organized as a race among autonomous vehicles across the
Mojave Desert, DARPA's goal was to stimulate autonomous vehicle technology
development for both military and commercial applications.
Velodyne founders David and Bruce Hall entered the competition as Team DAD (Digital
Audio Drive), traveling 6.2 miles in the first event and 25 miles in the second. The team
developed technology for visualizing the environment, first using a dual video camera
approach and later developing the laser-based system that laid the foundation for
Velodyne's current product line.
The first Velodyne LIDAR scanner was about 30 inches in diameter and weighed close to
100 pounds. Choosing to commercialize the LIDAR scanner instead of competing in
subsequent challenge events, Velodyne was able to dramatically reduce the sensor's size
and weight while also improving performance. Velodyne's HDL-64E sensor was the
primary means of terrain map construction and obstacle detection for all the top DARPA
Urban Challenge teams in 2007 and used by five out of six of the finishing teams, including
the winning and second place teams. In fact, some teams relied exclusively on the HDL-64E
for the information about the environment used to navigate an autonomous vehicle
through a simulated urban environment.
Milestones
1983 - Velodyne Acoustics formed when David Hall patents servo control for loudspeakers,
enabling a near-distortion-free bass experience, even at high volumes. Today, Velodyne’s
subwoofers are recognized worldwide as best-in-class.
2000 - 2001 – David and Bruce Hall participate in BattleBots®, Robotica®, and Robot
Wars® competitions, achieving runner-up world champion status.
2004 - Team “Digital Auto Drive” (DAD) competes in the first DARPA Grand Challenge
using stereo-vision technology. The vehicle survives 6.2 miles, finishing third. The limits of
stereo-vision motivated David Hall to explore LiDAR technology as the main means for
monitoring the environment in real-time 360º.
2005 - Team DAD enters the second Grand Challenge using 64-element LIDAR technology.
A steering control board failure ends their race at 25 miles, finishing 11th of all finishers.
Five vehicles complete the race, with Stanford Racing team winning the event.
2006 - Velodyne offers a more compact version of its 64-element LIDAR scanner -- the
HDL-64E -- for sale. Top Grand Challenge teams immediately place orders. Team DAD
declines to enter the next DARPA Urban Challenge event, focusing instead on supplying
LIDAR scanners to all top teams.
2007 – At the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, five of the six finishing teams use the HDL64E -- including the winning and second place teams.
2008 – Velodyne introduces the HDL-64E S2 Series 2 sensor.
2010 -- Velodyne unveils the HDL-32E sensor.
2012 – Velodyne launches firmware version 2 for the HDL-32E, introducing Calibrated
Reflectivities that enable differentiation between diffuse reflectors (trees, houses, etc.) and
retro-reflectors (street-signs, lane markings, license plates). Firmware 2 also supports
firmware upgrades in the field and configuration control of the HDL-32E via an easy-to-use
WebServer GUI.
2014 - In a bid to dramatically expand the use of 3D LiDAR sensors in robotics, unmanned
aerial vehicles and automation applications, Velodyne’s unveiled the Velodyne LiDAR Puck,
dubbed the VLP-16. The new 16-channel real-time LiDAR sensor is both substantially
smaller and – with an introductory price of $7,999 -- significantly less expensive than
previous generation sensors.
2015 - At two of the nation’s leading surveying and mapping technology conferences this
spring -- International LIDAR Mapping Forum (ILMF) in Denver and SPAR International in
Houston – Velodyne put its new VLP-16 LiDAR Puck firmly on the map, with the first
integrations from leading mapping vendors.
2015 - Velodyne LiDAR announced that the company is preparing to scale up for highvolume manufacturing of sensors for automotive applications, including self-driving cars.
Velodyne LiDAR @ CES 2016
Velodyne and Ford Motor Company: A Study in Collaboration
During the DARPA Grand Challenge in 2004, David Hall and Ford’s Jim McBride struck up a
professional friendship that has led to numerous exchanges of ideas and requirements for
LiDAR sensors suitable for the automotive industry. While Ford had its own competition
vehicle and research partnership with the University of Michigan, Velodyne’s Team “DAD”
was privately sponsored by the Hall brothers and participation from Velodyne Acoustics’
engineering team.
It’s no secret that McBride was instrumental in the discussions that led Hall to explore
LiDAR as a better way to capture a vehicle’s environment in real time. The first sensor Hall
built was based on a state-of the art stereo-vision camera with color CCD chips from Texas
Instruments. The stereo camera was, however, limited to only “look” in one direction, and
it didn’t perform well in low light conditions. In Hall’s words, “we could see some things all
of the time and all of the things some of the time, but not all the things all the time.”
After the first challenge, Hall got to thinking and responded by inventing a spinning sensor
based on LiDAR’s time-of-flight technology. Never had he seen a LiDAR-based
measurement device. Equipped only with theoretical knowledge, Hall relied on his
intuition as an inventor and knowledge of what he wanted the sensor to do – and
proceeded to create the first spinning Velodyne sensor.
“The spinning part helps with the 360º viewing capabilities and LiDAR helps to provide the
measured distances in a computer friendly format,” Hall said during a recent meeting with
Ford. “However, the most important element of the sensor is that it can measure 64
channels almost simultaneously,” noted Ford’s McBride. “This is what enables the sensor
to take measurements in real-time and thereby enable self-driving cars to make important
driving decisions based on an environment measured live.”
It became clear early on that Hall had invented a game-changer for the autonomous driving
market. McBride and others embraced this new technology, and during the DARPA Urban
Challenge many competitors used Hall’s spinning LiDAR sensor for object detection and
collision avoidance.
In 2008, after the DARPA Challenge days, Ford Motor Company started to look even more
intensively into driving-assisted vehicles; the HDL-64E was instrumental for a variety of
different projects leading in that direction.
McBride’s team started looking into ways to store 3D data from the sensor and, together
with other sensors, create a sophisticated map for driving-assisted cars. The challenge
with pre-recorded maps is that while they are highly accurate at the time of recording,
within a few weeks the environment changes and the maps are out of date. The challenge
for McBride’s team was to find the right balance between pre-recorded maps and real-time
data acquisition during an actual drive.
Velodyne’s HDL-64E and, more recently, HDL-32E sensors helped the Ford team to tackle
both tasks: 3D mapping and real-time data capture. That’s largely why the Ford Fusion
Hybrid Research Vehicle – unveiled in mid-December 2013 -- sports four of the compact,
lighter-weight HDL-32Es on an ergonomically designed roof rack. These sensors capture
the road around the vehicle in great detail during map recording phases and when actually
driving (almost) autonomously.
Management Team
David Hall
Founder & CEO
David Hall is founder and Chief Executive Officer of Velodyne, Inc., a diversified technology
company known worldwide for its high-performance audio equipment and high–definition
LiDAR sensors for autonomous vehicle applications.
An inventor, visionary and entrepreneur since building his first amplifier at the age of 4,
Hall is responsible for a number of innovations – including the first hand-held
computerized tachometer, which he built in the late 1970s. Since founding Velodyne
Acoustics, Inc. in 1983, Hall has received eight patents, including several that have
revolutionized low-frequency sound. These include the first high-gain, servo-controlled
subwoofer, a 120 lb. speaker system called the ULD-18 that lowered distortion levels to
below 1 percent. Subsequently, Hall and his team have refined and extended subwoofer
performance through other patented technologies, including the dual tandem voice coil,
energy recovery amplifier, digital high gain servo-control and the digital drive room bass
equalization system.
A long-time passion for robotics, optics and laser systems has led Hall to expand Velodyne’s
product lines. In 2005, he designed the first real-time 3D LiDAR viewing system now used
by Google and others for 3D mapping and other autonomous, or “self-navigating,” vehicles.
Using innovative servo technology, the LiDAR 3D real-time viewing system detects data
and simultaneously produces an image and navigation guidance that has both land and
marine applications.
Having conquered sound and laser navigation technology, Hall targeted another area of
childhood interest (boating) and a problem that often accompanied that pursuit
(seasickness). In 2009, Hall unveiled the Velodyne Marine System, a feedback system based
on computer-automated electronic pneumatics. Just as a car’s shocks stabilize an
automobile’s ride, so Hall’s invention absorbs the pitch and yaw that sometimes makes for
an unpleasant voyage. Two pontoons provide a stable and scalable structure that rely on
innovative servo technology collect and process data instantaneously to adjust to the
movement of a boat over the water, faster and more seamlessly than other marine
stabilization systems currently on the market.
Hall is a graduate of Case Western Reserve University, where he received a bachelor of
science degree in engineering.
Marta Thoma Hall
Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer
Since joining Velodyne, Inc. in 2011, Marta Thoma Hall has added a creative dimension not
typically associated with technology companies. Hall is an award-winning public artist
whose multi-story steel and glass sculptures made from recycled materials
(http://www.publicartgreenart.com/) are displayed in Arizona, California, Florida and
Washington, and her solo fine art exhibitions have delighted audiences around the U.S.
At Velodyne, Hall oversees the design and development of new products, including a fastgrowing line of sleek, lightweight Velodyne-branded over-ear, on-ear and in-ear
headphones and accessories that enable users to customize their headphones with colorful,
high-fashion skins designed by Hall and other recognized artists, including Lucas de
Alcantara, Francesco Orazzini and Abel Del Rio. At the same time, Hall is transforming the
way headphones look and sound with the vPulse, in-ear; vLeve on-ear; vFree on-ear
Bluetooth and vBold over-ear Bluetooth; vTrue forged aluminum studio and new vQuiet
over-ear noise canceling headphones, which appeal to everyone from casual music lovers
to the most discerning audiophiles who recognize Velodyne as a leader in audio subwoofer
technology.
A native of Lincoln, Neb., Thoma Hall graduated from the University of California, Berkeley,
with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts.
Mike Jellen
President & COO
Michael Jellen, a seasoned industrial automation executive, brings extensive global and
domain experience to Velodyne. Jellen is responsible for day-to-day management of
Velodyne, with an emphasis on Velodyne LiDAR, enabling founder and CEO David Hall to
focus on new products, next generation innovations and technical consulting. Jellen served
most recently as Vice President of Adept Technology, Pleasanton, Calif., a leader in robotics
and vision technology. Prior to Adept, Jellen worked 10 years with Danaher Corporation in
successive roles of increasing responsibility, including Vice President & General Manager,
Vehicle Systems Business in Stockholm, Sweden. As GM, Jellen oversaw a $100 million
business with sales, marketing, R&D and operations in the U.S., the European Union and
China. Earlier posts within Danaher included Vice President, Asia; Vice President, Strategic
Accounts and Controls; and General Manager, Technology Business.
Prior to Danaher, Jellen served as Director of Sales at Motion Engineering Inc., Santa
Barbara, California. He began his career at Seagate Technology in Silicon Valley, where he
worked in software development of robotic systems, among other positions. Jellen earned
a BSEE in electrical engineering from Marquette University and an MBA from Boston
University.
Pieter Kerstens
Vice President, Engineering
Pieter Kerstens joined Velodyne LiDAR from Headway Technologies, Inc., Milpitas,
Calif., a $250 million hard disk drive component manufacturer unit of TDK. At
Headway, he led the 24/7 manufacturing of leading-edge recording head wafers used
by all major global hard disk drive companies, overseeing some 300 operators and
supervisors. Prior to Headway, Kerstens served four years as VP of Engineering and
SVP of Technology Development, for Xicato, Inc., San Jose, Calif., facilitating this solid
state lighting startup to grow into a $30 million business by leading the development of
LED modules, with industry-leading quality of light, integrated drivers and color tuning
manufacturing processes.
Kerstens previously served as senior director of engineering for EUV lithography light
sources at Cymer Inc. (now ASML), San Diego, Calif., then a $500 million global
semiconductor equipment manufacturer. At Hitachi GST, San Jose, a $5 billion global hard
disk drive company, he worked in senior development and manufacturing engineering
management positions with successively increasing levels of responsibility.
For IBM in San Jose, Boca Raton, Fla. and East Fishkill, N.Y., Kerstens served in mid-level
operations, engineering and business development management positions. He began his
career with Philips Research, in Briarcliff Manor, N.Y., constructing 3D maps from the images
collected with a moving robot’s camera. He is listed as an inventor on 14 patents. Kerstens
earned a B.S. and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Eindhoven University of
Technology, the Netherlands, and an M.S. in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from
Lehigh University.
John Eggert
Senior Sales & Marketing Manager
John Eggert has more than 20 years of international experience in program management,
along with sales and marketing management of products for the automotive industry,
including automotive interiors and passive safety components and systems. His curiosity
about the trends and technologies that will upend the automotive industry in coming
decades led him to Velodyne LiDAR in 2015. Since joining Velodyne as Automotive Sales
and Marketing Manager, Eggert has had the unique opportunity to witness first-hand the
perception strategies of almost every traditional and new automotive OEM in the quest to
achieve high-level ADAS functions and autonomy.
Eggert graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology from the University of
California at Berkeley and a Master’s degree in International Business from the University
of South Carolina.
Velodyne LiDAR @ CES 2016
Frequently Asked Questions
What is LiDAR?
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a distance-sensing technology that measures
the time it takes a short light pulse to travel from the sensor to the object to be
measured and back. From this measured time and the speed of light, the distance to
the object can be determined with great precision.
What are the real-world applications of LiDAR?
So-called “driverless” or “autonomous” vehicles that employ LiDAR sensors have
received a great deal of attention in recent years. However, LiDAR technology also is
being applied to the development of other types of autonomous land, sea, air and
space vehicles – as well as for other purposes.
In addition to “assisted driving,” LiDAR sensors also have enabled the growth of 3D
mobile mapping. Organizations such as the U.S. Department of Transportation are
employing LiDAR sensors to map and manage the nation’s highway assets. For
example, the State of Utah used has used LiDAR sensors developed by Velodyne, the
acknowledged leader in LiDAR technology, to scan and generate a 3D model
containing street conditions, bridge heights, street signs, lane markings and other
critical information.
What sets Velodyne LiDAR technology apart?
Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors are unique because they use multiple (16, 32 or 64) laser
and detector pairs, rotating 360°, which enable real-time, 3D data capturing at an
incredible data rate of 700,000 or 1.3M XYZ data points per second. Velodyne’s HDL32E and HDL-64E were developed for autonomous driving to detect obstacles and
avoid collisions and are used by essentially every OEM car manufacturer or Tier 1
supplier in their development of self-driving vehicles.
Why isn’t stereo vision good enough for use with autonomous vehicles?
Stereo vision limited in two ways: It is forward-directional and requires a light
source for illumination. Velodyne’s LiDAR sensors take data 360° and the laser
beams provide their own laser light, thus enabling measurements at day and at
night.
Stereo Vision also is based on calculating the third dimension from the difference in
position of two cameras. At greater distances (30-40meters/ 100-120 feet), this
principle is limited in its success and requires an enormous amount of computing
power because the raw data itself is only 2D. Velodyne’s HDL-family of sensors
measure up to 1.3M data points in a 200 meter (600 feet) diameter directly in 3D,
thereby exactly determining the distance to objects without the need for calculation.
With up to 20 full rotations per second, real-time analysis of obstacle detection and
collision avoidance by a computer becomes feasible.
What challenges has Velodyne surmounted in developing LiDAR technology and
what challenges are you facing today?
The size and weight of the first sensors – and the cost – were among the early
challenges.
Velodyne’s first commercial product, the HDL-64E, weighed approximately 15kg (33
lbs). The newer HDL-32E, which has been available since 2010, weighs only about
1kg (2.2 lbs) and is orders of magnitude smaller then the HDL-64E. The 16-channel
VLP-16 LiDAR Puck, introduced in 2014 and first deployed in early 2015, is smaller
still, vastly more cost-effective and developed with mass production in mind. At the
same time, it retains the key features of Velodyne’s breakthroughs in LiDAR: “Realtime, 360°, 3D distance and calibrated reflectivity measurements.”
VLP-16 specifications include a range of more than 100 meters, with a target range
of 150-200 meters. The unit’s low power consumption (<10W), light weight (about
600 grams), compact footprint (Ø100mm x 65mm), and dual return option make it
ideal for UAVs. Velodyne’s LiDAR Puck supports 16 channels, ~300,000 points/sec,
a 360° horizontal field of view and a 30° vertical field of view, with ±15° up and
down.
As for cost, the first LiDAR sensors cost nearly as much as the car on which they
were mounted. With the second generation product, cost was reduced by about 50
percent, while the vertical field of view increased from 26° to 40° and new
capabilities, like Calibrated Reflectivities and WebServer GUI configuration control,
became standard features. The third generation VLP-16 established an aggressive
new price point and footprint for the industry, and the trend toward
smaller/lighter/more affordable is continuing: this past summer, Velodyne
announced that it is scaling up for high-volume manufacturing of sensors for
automotive applications, including self-driving cars.
LiDAR Sensors
32-channel Solid-State Hybrid Ultra Puck™ Auto
16-channel VLP-16 LiDAR Puck
32-channel HDL-32E
64-channel HDL-64E
Velodyne LiDAR family of multi-channel 3D real-time sensors
Velodyne VLP-16
16 LiDAR Puck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GkMuFCnvEo - Velodyne 16 Mapping (VLP--16)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKUrARIkSrY&start=2830&end=4208&version=3 Velodyne at
sUSB Expo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKb
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKb-PVt5PBc UAV Airborne Laser Scanning with Velodyne
VLP-16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQpwVCNAmpE Velodyne VLP-16
16 LiDAR Monterey Highway
SLAM Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0fW3Uh_kGA Online Odometry and Mapping with Vision and
Velodyne
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q__szYl9ags Map based localization using Velodyne 16
(VLP16)
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000468908&play=1 The technology behind Google's selfself
driving cars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwX7HTFHB8w NAVYA ARMA Fleet on the open-road
open
in
Bordeaux (FR) : Street views
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eurbzbp8VdY Ford Fusion Hybrid Autonomous Research
Vehicle: 1st Automaker to Test Autonomous Vehicle at Mcity
Velodyne HDL-32E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBgdskiWlO8 - Velodyne's LiDAR for autonomous driving
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfSc_zJbGGs (Spanish) - Sensor Velodyne LiDAR HDL-32E
HDL
TechMake Electronics®
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4CR3Kgd6js - Velodyne HDL-32E
32E LiDAR Sensor Flies on
Headwall Photonics' UAV Platform
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZWa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZWa-g0plsI - Velodyne HDL-32E Installation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfUfMi19Utk - XactMaps flies Velodyne's lightweight HDL-32E
HDL
3D LiDAR sensor on UAV at ILMF 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RspIlg5jWAM - CaRINA 1 com Velodyne HDL-32E
HDL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlcYkLZYWcw - Velodyne XactMaps Demo at UAV show in
Reno 2014
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHRGaVc1x
/www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHRGaVc1xA&list=PLW0ucoy9sCdhqDDXVbJYe4Jatkwr2vAn9 - Object tracking with the Velodyne HDL-32E
HDL
Velodyne HDL-64E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YBE760SaFU - Velodyne LiDAR sensor system for Google’s
self-driving car
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09JjEQp9Nxk - Velodyne HDL-64E Test - Semi Urban
Environment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3IzB70gSKg - SLAM with VELODYNE HDL-64E
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63kpCAoL8po - RTMaps software in use with the Velodyne
HDL-64E S2 LiDAR sensor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVVJGtCTnSs - Velodyne LiDAR: Tunnel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eSglEL14m8 - Velodyne LiDAR: Environmental Clearance
Corporate Headquarters
345 Digital Drive
Morgan Hill, Calif. 95037
Office: (408) 465-2800
Velodyne Acoustics
www.velodyne.com
Velodyne LiDAR
www.velodynelidar.com
Velodyne Marine
www.velodynemarine.com
2015
North American Automotive ADAS Sensors
Product Leadership Award
FROST & SULLIVAN
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Contents
Background and Company Performance ........................................................................3
Industry Challenges..............................................................................................3
Product Family Attributes and Business Impact ........................................................3
Conclusion...........................................................................................................5
Significance of Product Leadership................................................................................6
Understanding Product Leadership................................................................................6
Key Benchmarking Criteria ....................................................................................7
Best Practice Award Analysis for Velodyne .....................................................................7
Decision Support Scorecard ...................................................................................7
Product Family Attributes ......................................................................................8
Business Impact...................................................................................................8
Decision Support Matrix ........................................................................................9
The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best Practices Awards ..................... 10
Research Methodology ........................................................................................ 10
Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching, Identifying, and Recognizing Best
Practices ................................................................................................................. 11
About Frost & Sullivan .............................................................................................. 12
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Background and Company Performance
Industry Challenges
All major automakers across the world feel the need to create some sort of an automated
vehicle in order to be aligned with the goals of global regulatory bodies on reducing road
fatalities. Traditionally, automakers have employed radar, ultrasonic, and vision-based
sensors to assess the driving environment and traffic to help the driver make betterinformed driving decisions. When the driver is taken out of the loop, the vehicle needs to
be more agile, availing near-human perception of the road.
Several vehicle manufacturers have already demonstrated automated vehicle prototypes
using LiDAR. Whether it is traditional OEMs or potential disruptors, such as Google, LiDAR
seems to be the preferred technology choice. By adopting a 64-channel architecture,
LiDAR systems are capable of collecting data from 360° with a capacity to capture 1.3
million data points every second. The cloud data collected is so vast and dense that
computer programs are able to identify objects like street curbs and overhead wires at
distances of over 100m. Meanwhile, on the other end of the spectrum, there are sensors
based on a 4 or 8-channel architecture, which use fewer data collection points and thus
offer little reliability and accuracy.
Unfortunately, the 64-channel architecture-based sensors that offer high-definition data
processing costs tens of thousands of dollars, so the industry is seeking a solution that
would be accurate and reliable like the 64-channel architecture sensors yet is more
affordable.
Product Family Attributes and Business Impact
Criterion 1: Match to Needs
As mentioned earlier, OEMs that are interested in the autonomous vehicle concept prefer
sensors that can capture an abundance of data points, and though these sensors are
highly accurate with their data collection making them very reliable, their cost has
encumbered wide spread deployment.
To address this, Velodyne has introduced a 16-channel architecture for their LiDAR sensors.
Known as the VLP-16, this solution tracks a number of key data points and is on par with
64-channel systems in terms of its reliability and functionality yet it is much more
affordable, increasing the system's adoption potential. The VLP-16 measures 100mm in
diameter and 65mm in height and weighs about 600 grams. It was developed with the
purpose of catering to mass-market consumers, boasting essential features such as realtime, 360°, 3D distance, and calibrated reflectivity measurements.
By meeting key market needs and concomitantly offering the best of both worlds, Frost &
Sullivan firmly believes Velodyne's solution to be the most compelling ADAS sensor in the
Automotive space today.
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Criterion 2: Reliability and Quality
Most of the sensors in the market today employ an inferior 8-channel sensor architecture
using two pairs of 4-channels, which are barely sufficient to map 3D data points. This
offers a range of up to 200 meters with a 110° horizontal field of view and up to 6.4° field
of view in the vertical direction. While on the contrary, higher configuration sensors
employ multi-channel sensor architecture that uses advantages of GPS and inertial
technology to provide continuous discrete data points. Even though the data points are
accurately recorded, to an extent, the accuracy is not comparable to Velodyne’s system.
The VLP-16, also known as "the Puck", boasts a range of up to 100 meters, capturing
close to 300,000 data points every second. It offers a 360° horizontal field of view and up
to 30° vertical field of view with ± 15° data capture in both directions. Later versions are
expected to have more sensitive mode of operation that allows for a range of 150 to 200
meters. The captured data points can be analyzed using state-of-the-art computing
algorithm to differentiate between objects such as a car, bicycle, and pedestrian, offering
well-rounded data points that are more than sufficient to make an informed decision.
Finally, the VLP-16 is designed such that the rotating parts are enclosed in the casing,
thereby allowing for a better fit in several configurations within the vehicle, which makes
the solution ideal for OEMs' needs.
Criterion 3: Customer Acquisition
Today's vehicles employ a number of different sensors including Ultra-sonic sensors and
radar. Market trends have driven sensor manufacturers to charge a premium price for
their different sensors, yet Frost & Sullivan's analysis shows that this premium pricing is
turning OEMs off. As vehicles become more and more autonomous, companies that can
bridge the gap between cost and quality will become the industry's 'preferred vendors' .
Despite the current market being in a nascent stage, 9 out of 10 OEMs use a Velodyne
sensor, giving clear evidence of the company's excellent reputation in the industry .
Frost & Sullivan feels that Velodyne has developed the right product at the right price,
giving them a critical competitive advantage in the market.
Criterion 4: Growth Potential
The VLP-16 offers tremendous growth potential in the future with sales expected to cross
several thousands of units when autonomous vehicles become a norm in the industry.
LiDAR systems used in demonstrator vehicles cost between $75,000 and $85,000; in
contrary, Velodyne's VLP-16 is roughly $8,000, one-tenth the cost of premium priced LiDAR
systems. Currently, Velodyne has sold several hundred units, which Frost & Sullivan
considers a highly successful venture thus far because the autonomous vehicles market is
in a nascent stage.
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Conclusion
To be a product leader, companies must introduce innovative and highly effective
solutions that address key industry challenges. Frost & Sullivan is convinced that Velodyne
has accomplished this with its VLP-16 sensor system. By amalgamating best-in-class
quality, superior functionality, unrivaled reliability, and affordability, Velodyne has truly
engineered a 'best of both worlds' offering. Because of its strong performance, Frost &
Sullivan recognizes Velodyne with the 2015 Product Leadership Award.
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Significance of Product Leadership
Ultimately, growth in any organization depends upon customers purchasing from your
company, and then making the decision to return time and again. A comprehensive
product line, filled with high-quality, value-driven options, is the key to building an
engaged customer base. To achieve and maintain product excellence, an organization
must strive to be best-in-class in three key areas: understanding demand, nurturing the
brand, and differentiating from the competition. This three-fold approach to delivering
Product Leadership is explored further below.
Understanding Product Leadership
Demand forecasting, branding, and differentiation all play a critical role in finding growth
opportunities for your product line. This three-fold focus, however, must be complemented
by an equally rigorous focus on pursuing those opportunities to a best -in-class standard.
Customer communications, customer feedback, pricing, and competitor actions must all be
managed and monitored for ongoing success. If an organization can successfully parlay
product excellence into positive business impact, increased market share will inevitably
follow over time.
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Key Benchmarking Criteria
For the Product Leadership Award, we evaluated two key factors—Product Family
Attributes and Business Impact—according to the criteria identified below.
Product Family Attributes
Criterion 1: Match to Needs
Criterion 2: Reliability and Quality
Criterion 3: Product/Service Value
Criterion 4: Positioning
Criterion 5: Design
Business Impact
Criterion 1: Financial Performance
Criterion 2: Customer Acquisition
Criterion 3: Operational Efficiency
Criterion 4: Growth Potential
Criterion 5: Human Capital
Best Practice Award Analysis for VELODYNE
Decision Support Scorecard
To support its evaluation of best practices across multiple business performance categories,
Frost & Sullivan employs a customized Decision Support Scorecard. This tool allows our
research and consulting teams to objectively analyze performance , according to the key
benchmarking criteria listed in the previous section, and to assign ratings on that basis.
The tool follows a 10-point scale that allows for nuances in performance evaluation; ratings
guidelines are illustrated below.
RATINGS GUIDELINES
The Decision Support Scorecard is organized by Product Family Attributes and Business
Impact (i.e., the overarching categories for all 10 benchmarking criteria; the definitions
for each criteria are provided beneath the scorecard). The research team confirms the
veracity of this weighted scorecard through sensitivity analysis, which confirms that small
changes to the ratings for a specific criterion do not lead to a significant change in the
overall relative rankings of the companies.
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
The results of this analysis are shown below. To remain unbiased and to protect the
interests of all organizations reviewed, we have chosen to refer to the other key players in
as Competitor 2 and Competitor 3.
Measurement of 1–10 (1 = poor; 10 = excellent)
Product Leadership
Product Family
Attributes
Business
Impact
Average
Rating
Velodyne
8
9
9
Competitor 2
6
7
7
Competitor 3
8
7
8
Product Family Attributes
Criterion 1: Match to Needs
Requirement: Customer needs directly influence and inspire the design and positioning of
the product family
Criterion 2: Reliability and Quality
Requirement: Products consistently meet or exceed customer expectations for
performance and length of service
Criterion 3: Product/Service Value
Requirement: Products or services offer the best value for the price, compared to similar
offerings in the market
Criterion 4: Positioning
Requirement: Products or services unique, unmet need that competitors cannot easily
replicate or replace
Criterion 5: Design
Requirement: The product features an innovative design, enhancing both visual appeal
and ease of use
Business Impact
Criterion 1: Financial Performance
Requirement: Strong overall financial performance in terms of revenues, revenue growth,
operating margin and other key financial metrics
Criterion 2: Customer Acquisition
Requirement: Product strength enables acquisition of new customers, even as it enhances
retention of current customers
Criterion 3: Operational Efficiency
Requirement: Staff is able to perform assigned tasks productively, quickly, and to a high
quality standard
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Criterion 4: Growth Potential
Requirements: Product quality strengthens brand, reinforces customer loyalty and
enhances growth potential
Criterion 5: Human Capital
Requirement: Company culture is characterized by a strong commitment to product
quality and customer impact, which in turn enhances employee morale and retention
Decision Support Matrix
Once all companies have been evaluated according to the Decision Support Scorecard,
analysts can then position the candidates on the matrix shown below, enabling them to
visualize which companies are truly breakthrough and which ones are not yet operating at
best-in-class levels.
High
Velodyne
Competitor 3
Business Impact
Competitor 2
Low
Low
Product Family Attributes
High
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
The Intersection between 360-Degree Research and Best
Practices Awards
Research Methodology
Frost & Sullivan’s 360-degree research
360-DEGREE RESEARCH: SEEING ORDER IN
THE CHAOS
methodology represents the analytical
rigor of our research process. It offers a
360-degree-view of industry challenges,
trends, and issues by integrating all 7 of
Frost & Sullivan's research methodologies.
Too often, companies make important
growth decisions based on a narrow
understanding of their environment,
leading to errors of both omission and
commission. Successful growth strategies
are founded on a thorough understanding
of market, technical, economic, financial,
customer, best practices, and demographic
analyses. The integration of these research
disciplines into the 360-degree research
methodology provides an evaluation
platform for benchmarking industry players and for identifying those performing at bestin-class levels.
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
Best Practices Recognition: 10 Steps to Researching,
Identifying, and Recognizing Best Practices
Frost & Sullivan Awards follow a 10-step process to evaluate Award candidates and assess
their fit to best practice criteria. The reputation and integrity of the Awards are based on
close adherence to this process.
STEP
1
Monitor,
target, and
screen
OBJECTIVE
KEY ACTIVITIES
OUTPUT
Identify award recipient
candidates from around the globe
• Conduct in-depth industry
research
• Identify emerging sectors
• Scan multiple geographies
Pipeline of candidates who
potentially meet all best-practice
criteria
Perform comprehensive, 360degree research on all candidates
in the pipeline
• Interview thought leaders and
industry practitioners
• Assess candidates’ fit with bestpractice criteria
• Rank all candidates
Matrix positioning all candidates’
performance relative to one
another
2
Perform
360-degree
research
Perform in-depth examination of
all candidates
• Confirm best-practice criteria
• Examine eligibility of all
candidates
• Identify any information gaps
Detailed profiles of all ranked
candidates
3
Invite
thought
leadership in
best
practices
Conduct an unbiased evaluation
of all candidate profiles
4
Initiate
research
director
review
• Brainstorm ranking options
• Invite multiple perspectives on
candidates’ performance
• Update candidate profiles
Final prioritization of all eligible
candidates and companion bestpractice positioning paper
Present findings to an expert
panel of industry thought leaders
• Share findings
• Strengthen cases for candidate
eligibility
• Prioritize candidates
Refined list of prioritized award
candidates
5
Assemble
panel of
industry
experts
Build consensus on award
candidates’ eligibility
6
Conduct
global
industry
review
• Hold global team meeting to
review all candidates
• Pressure-test fit with criteria
• Confirm inclusion of all eligible
candidates
Final list of eligible award
candidates, representing success
stories worldwide
Develop official award
consideration materials
• Perform final performance
benchmarking activities
• Write nominations
• Perform quality review
High-quality, accurate, and
creative presentation of
nominees’ successes
Finalize the selection of the bestpractice award recipient
• Review analysis with panel
• Build consensus
• Select winner
Decision on which company
performs best against all bestpractice criteria
Inform award recipient of award
recognition
• Present award to the CEO
• Inspire the organization for
continued success
• Celebrate the recipient’s
performance
Announcement of award and
plan for how recipient can use
the award to enhance the brand
The award recipient may license
the award for use in external
communication and outreach to
stakeholders and customers
• Coordinate media outreach
• Design a marketing plan
• Assess award’s role in future
strategic planning
Widespread awareness of
recipient’s award status among
investors, media personnel, and
employees
7
Perform
quality check
8
Reconnect
with panel of
industry
experts
9
Communicate
recognition
10
Take
strategic
action
BEST PRACTICES RESEARCH
About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth
and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's
Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with
disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and
implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages almost 50
years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and
the investment community from 31 offices on six continents. To join our Growth
Partnership, pl ease visit http://www.frost.com.