Luminar unveils new compact lidar sensor Halo, tie-up with Applied Intuition

(Reuters) - Luminar Technologies launched its latest lidar sensor on Tuesday and said it has partnered with auto software maker Applied Intuition to aid automakers in testing their assisted-driving systems.

The tie-up will provide solutions for automobile manufacturers to test their assisted driving systems using Applied Intuition's sensor simulator integrated with Luminar's lidar sensor models.

Lidar sensor helps self-driving cars and driver-assistance systems gain a three-dimensional map of the road, and is considered a key to achieving full autonomy in vehicles.

Luminar's latest lidar sensor, Halo, is smaller than previous generation sensors and will blend into the roofline of a car or behind the windshield, the company said.

"Automakers will be able to accurately test and validate Luminar's LiDAR-based software systems in virtual environments while reducing testing cost and accelerating time to market," Luminar said.

The company also said it has started shipping its lidar sensors to Volvo Cars ahead of the production of the EX90, which is expected to be the first global consumer vehicle to standardize this technology.

In late February, Luminar cited a delayed production schedule for Volvo's new EX90 electric SUVs for its downbeat fourth-quarter results.

Volvo is targeting customer deliveries of the EX90 in late 2024.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese; Editing by Vijay Kishore)