Indie Semiconductor Launches Highly Integrated Surya LiDAR SoC

California-based Indie Semiconductor Inc., which has a design center in Detroit, has launched its Surya LiDAR system-on-a-chip (SoC), which enables advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving functionality.
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Indie Semiconductor has launched the highly integrated Surya LiDAR SoC. // Courtesy of Indie Semiconductor
Indie Semiconductor has launched the highly integrated Surya LiDAR SoC. // Courtesy of Indie Semiconductor

California-based Indie Semiconductor Inc., which has a design center in Detroit, has launched its

Surya LiDAR system-on-a-chip (SoC), which enables advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving functionality.

LiDAR, or light detection and ranging, is a critical sensing technology for achieving maximum levels of safety for assisted and self-driving cars. Indie’s device is designed for high-performance LiDAR and integrates both high-speed analog-to-digital converters and digital signal processing to facilitate the reliable detection of long-range targets.

Surya consumes “significantly” lower power when compared to current architectures and is “substantially” more cost-effective than current FPGA-based designs, according to Indie.

“Indie is at the forefront of disruptive LiDAR-based solutions, creating differentiated platforms that will help unleash next generation ADAS applications and ultimately enable true autonomous driving,” says Paul Hollingworth, executive vice president of sales and marketing at India.

“Specifically, our initial LiDAR offering combines Indie’s innovative high-speed analog, mixed signal, DSP and software technologies together with TeraXion’s best-in-class laser and sensing technologies to offer unprecedented levels of hardware and software integration.

“Until now, LiDAR systems have not been scalable given ultra-high price points for disparate implementations. We believe Surya represents a major step forward in advancing architectures with significant improvements in power, performance, and cost. This announcement also reflects how Indie is answering pent-up customer demand for truly comprehensive and cost-effective solutions that enhance the circle of safety and accelerate the promise of tomorrow’s self-driving cars.”

Indie will begin broad customer sampling of Surya in Q1 2022.

According to a recent MarketWatch report, the global automotive LiDAR market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 28 percent from 2020 to 2027, reaching a market value of approximately $3.2 billion by 2027.