First Sensor Expands Cooperation with Velodyne LiDAR Inc.

• New strategic supply agreement for Avalanche photodiodes (APD) concluded
• Multi-million dollar order volume over the next three years
• Autonomous driving propels growth

First Sensor: At the world's largest trade fair for optical technologies, the SPIE Photonics West in San Francisco, the sensor specialist First Sensor and Velodyne LiDAR Inc. announced an expansion of their cooperation for Avalanche photodiodes (APD), which has been in place since 2005. Velodyne LiDAR is the recognized global leader in Light, Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology.

The strategic supply cooperation has a volume in the millions over the next three years. Velodyne LiDAR uses Avalanche photodiodes (APD) from First Sensor in its entire product range of LiDAR scanners. Together with radar and camera systems, LiDAR is of fundamental importance for autonomous driving. In this field, Velodyne LiDAR acts as a supplier to a large number of OEMs and tech companies in the autonomous revolution space and particularly appreciates the performance of First Sensor technology for this.

“In the field of industry, First Sensor has been a valued supplier for Avalanche photodiodes for a long time. We cover a wide usage spectrum, ranging from length measurement right up to machine safety. By using these products in LiDAR scanners for autonomous driving, we are now gradually tapping into a new market with huge growth potential with this product,” says Dr. Dirk Rothweiler, CEO of First Sensor AG.

This started in 2009 with an APD array that entered series production for the end customer Chrysler. In addition to the USA, this technology is now being used in Europe and Asia as well. “Many of our development projects had reached prototype phase by the end of last year. We are confident that we will generate further business from them in the future,” says Dr. Mathias Gollwitzer, CFO of First Sensor.

First Sensor came first among producers for Avalanche photodiodes in the recently published Global APD Avalanche Photodiode Market Research Report 2016. They detect invisible flashes of light with which LiDAR scanners create a high-definition 360˚ picture of the surrounding area. Fitted with an internal gain mechanism, they are particularly sensitive. The sensor specialist offers individual diodes as well as arrays, which are used for applications such as distance measurement or optical communication. They are used in the growth markets of industry 4.0, medical technology and autonomous driving. These areas form the thematic focus of this year’s SPIE Photonics West, at which more than 20,000 international visitors are expected.

About First Sensor AG: In the growth market of sensor systems, First Sensor develops and produces customer-specific solutions for the ever-increasing number of applications in the industrial, medical, and mobility target markets. Based on triedand-tested technology platforms, we develop products from chips to complex sensor systems. Trends such as Industry 4.0, autonomous driving, and the miniaturization of medical technology will drive our growth extremely rapidly in the future. First Sensor was established 25 years ago in Berlin and has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 1999 [Prime Standard Ι WKN: 720190 Ι ISIN: DE0007201907 Ι SIS].

About Velodyne LiDAR: Founded in 1983 by David S. Hall, Velodyne Acoustics Inc. first disrupted the premium audio market through Hall’s patented invention of virtually distortion-less, servo-driven subwoofers. Hall subsequently leveraged his knowledge of robotics and 3D visualization systems to invent ground breaking sensor technology for self-driving cars and 3D mapping, introducing the HDL-64 Solid-State Hybrid LiDAR sensor in 2005. Since then, Velodyne LiDAR has emerged as the leading supplier of solid-state hybrid LiDAR sensor technology used in a variety of commercial applications including advanced automotive safety systems, autonomous driving, 3D mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. The compact, lightweight HDL-32E sensor is available for applications including UAVs, while the VLP-16 LiDAR Puck is a 16-channel LiDAR sensor that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive than previous generation sensors.