Daimler AG’s truck business, the world’s biggest manufacturer of commercial vehicles, today said it’s teaming up with lidar maker Luminar Technologies Inc. to develop self-driving trucks.

Under the partnership Daimler will take an undisclosed minority stake in Luminar.

Lidar sensors are widely used in the perception systems that enable autonomous vehicles to see the environment. The technology relies on invisible laser light to assemble a three-dimensional, continuously updated map of a vehicle’s surroundings. Numerous startups have launched in recent years with lidar-based products because the expected rise of self-driving vehicles is expected to drive strong demand from automakers.

Palo Alto, California-based Luminar is one of the highest-profile players in the segment. It’s currently in the process of going public on the Nasdaq through an unusual reverse merger with a so-called special purpose acquisition company. Earlier, it raised about $250 million in venture funding from investors including Volvo Cars.

Luminar is developing lidar sensors that map out a vehicle’s surroundings using laser pulses with a 1,550-nanometer wavelength. The human eye is less sensitive to light at this frequency than the 904-nanometer laser pulses used by many competing lidar products, which Luminar says allows its sensors to operate at a higher power level without posing a health risk. The result, the company says, is better visibility: Luminar’s sensors can spot objects from distances of 1,600-plus feet.

Under the newly announced partnership with Daimler, the companies will collaborate to equip the automaker’s trucks with lidar-powered autonomous driving capabilities. The goal is to achieve so-called Level 4 autonomy. Level 4 autonomy is an industry term describing vehicles that can drive themselves under most conditions, but may still require human intervention in complicated traffic situations.

The initial focus will be enabling Daimler trucks to operate independently on long-haul highway routes. Highways present a narrower set of challenges for self-driving vehicles than urban roads and, as a result, the companies believe that prioritizing this use case may make it possible to go to market faster. Luminar will supply lidar sensors while Daimler’s Torc Robotics subsidiary is set to provide autonomous driving software.

The companies also plan to collaborate on safety standards and operating best practices for autonomous trucks.

“The business case for autonomous trucking is incredibly strong, and now is seeing the first OEM program to bring it to the world,” said Luminar Chief Executive Officer Austin Russell. 

Luminar previously signed a deal with Volvo to supply lidar sensors for an upcoming line of autonomous passenger cars set to enter production in 2022. 

Photo: Daimler