PreAct Technologies has announced that its patent-pending T30P flash LiDAR is the industry’s first sensor designed to be software-definable and integrate easily into an autonomous driving system stack for automakers as well as trucking and robotics applications. The Oregon-based developer of near-field flash LiDAR technology believes that vehicles with software-defined architectures require sensor technology that can support over-the-air updates throughout the life of the vehicle, allowing OEMs to generate ongoing revenue by offering powerful new features and functionality.

“We are excited to bring our software-definable flash LiDAR to market, furthering the advancement of autonomous mobility across multiple industries,” said Paul Drysch, CEO of PreAct Technologies. “We’ve spent the last three years creating a solution that fulfills the need of software-defined vehicles, providing the most value for Tier 1s and OEMs over the long term by making any ADAS application relevant for the entire life of the vehicle.”

The company’s flash LiDAR architecture is based on modulated waveforms that can be optimized for different applications via over-the-air updates, along with an application stack that resides on the edge.  The flexibility of a software-defined LiDAR allows Tier 1 suppliers and OEMs to package one sensor for multiple use cases—from true curb detection and gesture recognition to self-parking and automatic door actuation—that can update to meet their changing needs as more user and sensor data become available.

The T30P, with a 200 fps rate and QVGA resolution, is also said to be the fastest flash LiDAR on the market for applications that share a need for fast, accurate, and high-resolution sensors that can reliably define and track objects in all environmental conditions. It will be available in July 2022.

PreAct Technologies bills itself as a developer of intelligent sensing technology designed to bridge the gap between collision avoidance and active safety. In November, it announced $13 million in Series A funding led by State Farm Ventures with additional participation including Elev8.VC, Gotham Partners, Traylor Capital, and Stargazer Ventures.

“Every year nearly 50 million people, globally, are seriously hurt in car crashes and another 1.35 million die, which is completely unacceptable,” said Drysch, according to data from CDC.gov. “At PreAct Technologies, we are focused on developing a reliable, high-speed detection, near-field sensing, and perception system that will enable the world’s first mass-production, pre-crash airbags, and other safety countermeasures. This system will not only help prevent millions of serious injuries and fatalities but will also save the economy around $120 billion each year.”

By leveraging proven technology, and rethinking near-field sensing, the company is targeting “the last 100 feet” to predict crashes and prepare a vehicle for an imminent collision, deploying airbags and other safety devices before the crash happens. In an urban environment, being able to detect collisions milliseconds before they happen could help reduce the majority of severe injuries and fatalities from car crashes, according to the company.

PreAct says its TrueSense sensors complement or may even replace many of the short-range sensors like radar, ultrasound, and cameras, estimated to be a $30 billion/year market, and enable pre-crash safety systems while enhancing existing use cases such as park assist and self-parking. TrueSense sensors can help lower the cost and complexity of advanced driver assistance systems and enable many new use cases that have proven to be challenging in the past.

“PreAct’s technology is a potential compelling advancement for car safety and will help to reduce serious injuries and fatalities,” said Michael Remmes, Vice President, State Farm Ventures. “Moreover, utilizing the valuable driving behavior data that this technology detects may help create a more complete picture of driver risk.”

Just before the latest funding round, PreAct was awarded a $1 million prize from Luminate for its TrueSense technology and will be establishing a manufacturing base in New York state. The LiDAR company earned the top prize in the fourth cohort of the Luminate NY Program’s Innovation Finals Competition, with winners announced live via virtual ceremony and presented by Sujatha Ramanujan, Luminate’s Managing Director.

Luminate says it is the world’s largest venture capital accelerator for optics, photonics, and imaging technology. Administered by the New York technology-development organization NextCorps, each year it admits a class of ten start-up firms, each of which receives $100,000 in immediate funding and participates in a six-month comprehensive program of support. The process culminates in a pitch-day competition in which the ten firms vie for more than $2 million in additional follow-on funding.