2022 Republic of Korea Excellent Patent Award – AutoL

AutoL (CEO, Lee Yong-sung) is a startup founded by researchers who led the research on LiDAR for autonomous driving at the Hyundai Motor Company Central Research Institute. It was established through Hyundai’s in-house venture system and was spun off last year to specialize in researching, developing, and manufacturing LiDAR sensors for autonomous driving.

As the demands for autonomous driving have advanced, there are limitations to implementing Level 3 or higher autonomous driving technology using only existing cameras and radar sensors. LiDAR, which uses light to detect objects and measure distances in front, plays a crucial role as the ‘eyes’ of the vehicle in Level 3 or higher autonomous driving.

However, LiDAR suitable for autonomous driving requires a minimum of 16 channels (areas separated vertically when detecting objects), and as the number of channels increases, the volume and price of LiDAR increase exponentially.

AutoL has developed the high-resolution LiDAR G32, satisfying the durability and reliability requirements for automotive use without additional components or volume increase, through a patented technology of ‘LiDAR with an inclined mirror structure.’ G32 is expected to be supplied at 1/5 of the price of existing LiDAR with the same specifications when mass-produced, by maximizing resolution and detection distance while simplifying the product’s structure.