Outsight, a specialist in 3D spatial intelligence, has joined the growing ranks of the Lidar Coalition as the founding software member. The coalition was formed to advocate for policies promoting lidar’s role in enhancing safety on US roadways and infrastructure, including mitigating the staggering rise in pedestrian fatalities on roadways in the USA, and for autonomous vehicle operations.
“Lidar-based vehicle technology has the potential to prevent pedestrian deaths and vehicle accidents, particularly in low-light and low-visibility environments,” says Ariel Wolf, chair of the Autonomous and Connected Mobility Practice Group at Venable LLP, which serves as counsel to the coalition. “We welcome Outsight to the coalition and look forward to their participation in the coalition’s work to educate policymakers who are pursuing innovative solutions to our nation’s transportation challenges.”
“It is becoming increasingly well known how valuable lidar sensing hardware is for improving safety and lowering accidents,” says Raul Bravo, president and founder of Outsight. “We are pleased to contribute to the Lidar Coalition by adding the software component that will accelerate and facilitate its mass adoption and hence broaden its beneficial effects.”
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimated that 42,915 people died on US roadways in 2021, the highest number of fatalities since 2005 and the highest annual percentage increase in the recorded history of data in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System. Pedestrian fatalities also increased by 13% over 2020, which outpaced the 10.5% increase in overall fatalities. Approximately 75% of pedestrian deaths happen in low-light conditions, such as dusk and nightfall, that could be addressed using lidar technology.
The Lidar Coalition is focused on promoting the deployment of lidar-based intelligent infrastructure and automotive safety technology. Light detection and ranging, or lidar, is a remote sensing method that uses invisible light pulses to illuminate and create a 3D map of the surrounding environment. Lidar is an important component in emerging transportation technologies including smart infrastructure, traffic management, autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assist systems, and many other applications.
The Lidar Coalition engages in public policy advocacy, educational efforts, and thought leadership to maximize the public benefit of lidar deployment. The Coalition was founded in April of 2021 by AEye, Cepton, Continental, Innoviz, Ouster, Quanergy Systems, and Velodyne. Aeluma, Baraja, Ibeo Automotive Systems, and Valeo have also recently joined the coalition.
To find out more about how lidar is enhancing transportation safety and efficiency, take a look at the most recent issue of Traffic Technology International, here.
