word
20 karma · joined January 7, 2020
We didn't claim these were auto rated parts... that being said, our temp spec is in line with the industry, and we're dead set* on reaching auto temp spec in a future iteration of the product.
Our shock, vibe and ingress specs are far better than the competition and pass most auto specs already though. Ruggedness like this was unheard of in spinning lidar even two years ago.
*I believe our internal thermal design group is "cultofthelavapeople at ouster dot io".
This couldn't be further from the truth. You can design the VCSEL cavity and top and bottom mirrors for peak efficiency at any temp, including very high temps. I wonder what we did...
Compared to the side emitter diode lasers used in legacy spinning lidar, VCSELS are cheaper, more efficient, more reliable, longer life, and better quality light sources to boot.
Even automotive cameras have built in heaters to allow them to operate lower than -20C. Nothing preventing adding the same functionality to our sensors.
This is single unit pricing. Volume discounts apply. Still work to do to get this in every honda civic, but it is possible with our technology.