Laser Sensors to Guide Cars in the Near Future

The Team-LUX is entering the DARPA Grand Challenge, the world’s most remarkable car rally. The event, being held for the third time since 2004, is a contest between unmanned vehicles. The laser technology company, Sick AG, and its subsidiary, Ibeo Automobile Sensor GmbH, participate with their Team-LUX. They want to demonstrate that laser sensors for autonomous driving will be soon included into safety systems of production vehicles. The race car is a VW Passat 2.0 TDI with three prototypes of the new ibeo LUX laser sensor concealed in its bodywork. In view of the Ibeo laser technology, which represents a unique concept for vehicles worldwide, the Team-LUX members believe they have an excellent chance in the contest. What makes this race so special is that all of the competing vehicles must master a 60-mile course entirely autonomously, with neither a driver nor remote control. The DARPA Urban Challenge 2007 is being held in a US city, in real traffic conditions, on November 3 and 4, 2007. The Team-LUX intends to show that intelligent technology capable of enhancing road safety can be produced for production cars.

“We are competing against the world’s best in terms of automobile technology,” explains Dr. Ulrich Lages, CEO of Ibeo Automobile Sensor GmbH.
He continues, “Although we are a relatively small team and, unlike the big players, do not dispose of a large budget, we believe we have a great chance at the DARPA 2007. Our innovative laser technology gives us a lead of several years over our prospective rivals, especially in the field of object and environmental detection.”