Hyundai, Kia open self-driving car sensor research lab at KAIST

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Hyundai, Kia open self-driving car sensor research lab at KAIST

Published: 21 Feb. 2024, 17:07 Updated: 21 Feb. 2024, 17:07

SARAH CHEA
chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr

Lee Jong-soo, left, vice president of the institute of advanced technology at Hyundai Motor, and Lee Sang-yup, vice president at KAIST, take a photo after opening a lab at the university in Daejeon. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor and Kia have set up a research lab to develop sensors for self-driving cars at KAIST in Daejeon.

The Korean companies said Wednesday they teamed up with KAIST to form the "On-Chip LiDAR Lab" to develop smaller and cheaper sensors for autonomous driving cars.

The on-chip sensor uses various chip technologies to increase the performance of LiDAR in a more compact unit. Dubbed "a car's eyes," LiDAR is a remote sensing system that uses a pulsed laser to accurately detect objects.

The lab will also develop signal detection technology that emits light that changes in frequency over time and detects distance by measuring the frequency difference of returning light.

The lab will have around 30 researchers, including personnel from the two companies and KAIST professors Kim Sang-hyeon and Kim Sang-sik. It will run for four years until 2028.

KAIST will oversee the development and production while Hyundai and Kia will provide support with strategies and technical aid.

"LiDAR is a technology that all global automakers need to have in their roadmap for developing self-driving cars," said KAIST Professor Kim Sang-hyeon. "The joint research lab will be able to lay the foundation for LiDAR-related technologies."

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]