GM Acquires LIDAR Tech Firm
LIDAR tech firm Strobe is expected to bolster the automaker’s efforts to bring self-driving cars to market.

LIDAR firm Strobe is expected to help General Motors' Cruise Automation deploy autonomous vehicles at scale. Photo courtesy of GM.

LIDAR firm Strobe is expected to help General Motors' Cruise Automation deploy autonomous vehicles at scale. Photo courtesy of GM.
General Motors has acquired LIDAR technology company Strobe, which will join GM’s Cruise Automation team focused on developing and deploying self-driving vehicles.
“Strobe’s LIDAR technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale,” said Kyle Vogt, founder and CEO of Cruise Automation.
LIDAR uses light to create high-resolution images that provide a more accurate view of the world than cameras or radar alone. As self-driving technology continues to evolve, LIDAR’s accuracy will play a critical role, according to GM.
“The successful deployment of self-driving vehicles will be highly dependent on the availability of LIDAR sensors,” said Julie Schoenfeld, founder and CEO of Strobe Inc. “Strobe’s deep engineering talent and technology backed by numerous patents will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think.”
Last month, Cruise Automation unveiled what it said was the first mass-producible car designed with the redundancy and safety requirements necessary to operate without a driver. The vehicle will join Cruise’s testing fleets in San Francisco, metropolitan Phoenix and Detroit.
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