CES: SK Telecom prototypes single-photon LiDAR

SK Telecom has introduced a prototype of ‘Next-Generation Single Photon LiDAR,’ a high-performance LiDAR jointly developed by SK Telecom and Pioneer Smart Sensing Innovations Corporation (PSSI) – the automated driving subsidiary of Pioneer Corp.

 The prototype of Next-Generation Single Photon LiDAR is built with SK Telecom’s single photon LiDAR transceiver (transmitter/receiver) technologies and PSSI’s 2D Micro-Electro Mechanical System (MEMS) mirror-based scanning method.

 SK Telecom’s single photon LiDAR transceiver technologies consist of 1550 nm wavelength laser, Single Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) and Time-Correlated Single Photon Counting (TCSPC).

 1550 nm wavelength laser, which fires pulses much stronger than 905 nm wavelength laser, enables extended detection of objects at a distance of up to 500 meters.

 Moreover, instead of applying Linear-mode Avalanche PhotoDiode (APD), SK Telecom uses SPAD to ensure higher sensitivity to light. With SPAD, Next-Generation Single Photon LiDAR can accurately detect low-reflectivity objects like tires or pedestrians dressed in black.

 To complement the weakness of existing LiDARs that shows low performance in adverse weather conditions – i.e. misidentifying snow, rain and smoke as targets, – the company applied TCSPC, which can tell the difference between dispersed (e.g. rain, smoke, etc.) and fixed (e.g. vehicles. etc.) objects, to significantly enhance the safety of drivers in heavy rain or snow.

 Built with 2D MEMS mirror scanning method, the LiDAR can clearly identify objects by offering higher resolution than the existing motor-based scanning.