Recent advances in LIDAR – light detection and ranging technology – figure to help automakers integrate automatic emergency braking into their vehicles while also controlling production costs.

Phantom Intelligence in Quebec, Canada, for example, has developed a low-cost, compact LIDAR system designed to help meet automatic emergency braking requirements in low-speed city driving.

In September, 10 major automakers committed to making automatic emergency braking a standard feature on all new vehicles built. These manufacturers are now working with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to finalize details on meeting this commitment, including establishment of timelines.

LIDAR is a remote-sensing method that uses light, in the form of a pulsed laser, to detect objects and measure their distance. Traditionally, such systems have been bulky and expensive. But that’s all changing.

The new Wideview LIDAR system from Phantom Intelligence uses infrared pulsed laser diodes and photodiodes manufactured by Osram Opto Semiconductors to detect objects on the road. The system can be mounted inside the windshield and behind the rearview mirror. This approach provides higher performance consistency, compared to placement on the car’s front bumper, and also reduces collision repair costs in the event of a crash, Osram said.

With Osram’s lighting technology, Phantom Intelligence plans to make the next generation of LIDAR systems even better to improve obstacle detection and collision mitigation solutions.

“Our ultimate goal is to improve safety, spare worries and cut travel time,” said Jean-Yves Deschenes, president of Phantom Intelligence.