MIT and DARPA pack lidar sensor onto single chip

Aug. 9, 2016
MIT’s Photonic Microsystems Group is developing a lidar-on-a-chip system that has no moving parts and could be mass produced at a very low cost.


We believe that commercial lidar-on-a-chip solutions will be available in a few years. A low-cost, low-profile lidar system such as this has many applications in autonomous vehicles and robotics. It would allow for multiple inexpensive lidar modules to be placed around a car or robot. These on-chip lidar systems could even be placed in the fingers of a robot to see what it is grasping because of their high resolution, small form factor, and low cost. These developments have the potential to dramatically alter the landscape of lidar systems by changing how the devices operate and opening up the technology to numerous new applications, some of which have not even been thought of today.

From a guest blog post on IEEE Spectrum.

The Laser Focus World take:

Lidar is a very hot topic in photonics. The quest for lidar-on-a-chip has been ongoing, notably by institutions such as MIT, Caltech, and UC Santa Barbara, and under DARPA's Electronic-Photonic Heterogeneous Integration (E-PHI) program. We surveyed all of this work in a recent article by senior editor Gail Overton: LIDAR nears ubiquity as miniature systems proliferate.

Conard Holton
Editor in Chief
Laser Focus World

Sponsored Recommendations

How Precision Motion Systems are Shaping the Future of Semiconductor Manufacturing

March 28, 2024
This article highlights the pivotal role precision motion systems play in supporting the latest semiconductor manufacturing trends.

Understanding 3D Printing Tolerances: A Guide to Achieving Precision in Additive Manufacturing

March 28, 2024
In the world of additive manufacturing, precision is paramount. One crucial aspect of ensuring precision in 3D printing is understanding tolerances. In this article, we’ll explore...

Automation Technologies to Scale PIC Testing from Lab to Fab

March 28, 2024
This webinar will cover the basics of precision motion systems for PIC testing and discuss the ways motion solutions can be specifically designed to address the production-scale...

Case Study: Medical Tube Laser Processing

March 28, 2024
To enhance their cardiovascular stent’s precision, optimize throughput and elevate part quality, a renowned manufacturer of medical products embarked on a mission to fabricate...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!