Velodyne Lidar Calls for Action to Improve Pedestrian Safety
20.10.2020 15:00:00 EEST | Business Wire | Press release
Velodyne Lidar, Inc. (Nasdaq: VLDR) today published a white paper that calls for independent performance testing of driver assistance systems to be expanded to include dark nighttime scenarios. The change would address a gap in current testing protocols that primarily looks at daytime conditions and largely overlooks the risks to pedestrians from driver assistance systems that perform poorly in dark nighttime conditions.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201020005335/en/
Side by side comparison of images produced by automotive camera and Velodyne’s Velarray lidar in dark conditions with streetlights and low beam headlights. (Graphic: Velodyne Lidar, Inc.)
The white paper, called “Improving Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (PAEB) in Dark, Nighttime Conditions,” can be downloaded here.
Over 6,000 pedestrians are killed every year in traffic-related crashes in the United States with the vast majority of fatalities occurring in dark conditions. To address these tragedies, most new vehicles offer advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) equipped with Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (PAEB) as a standard or optional feature.
PAEB systems provide automatic braking for vehicles when pedestrians are in the path of the vehicle’s travel and the driver has taken insufficient action to avoid an imminent crash. However, current systems utilizing camera and radar technology frequently fail to protect pedestrians in dark conditions according to independent testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) and the American Automobile Association (AAA).
To reflect real-life conditions, the white paper proposes expanding future PAEB testing protocols to include tests conducted in dark, nighttime conditions. The new tests would be conducted in less than one lux ambient illuminance, using low-beam headlights and without streetlights. This change would provide the public with useful information on the performance of pedestrian detection systems in low-light conditions that occur on roadways.
To demonstrate how expanded testing would work, the white paper details the results of nighttime PAEB tests conducted by Velodyne. The tests evaluated a highly-rated PAEB system using current camera and radar-based technology and Velodyne’s PAEB system that uses Velodyne’s lidar sensors and Vella™ software. In these nighttime conditions, the camera and radar-based PAEB system failed in all five scenarios while the lidar-based system avoided a crash in every situation tested.
“With dark nighttime conditions so dangerous for pedestrians, it is imperative vehicle assessment organizations expand PAEB testing in ambient light conditions of less than one lux,” said David Heeren, Sr. Technical Product Marketing Manager, Velodyne Lidar. “Tests performed by NHTSA and AAA demonstrate nighttime performance represents a major opportunity for improvement in current PAEB systems. Velodyne testing shows the efficacy of our lidar-based solution, which can strengthen a vehicle’s functional safety capabilities and address scenarios that cause thousands of pedestrian fatalities annually.”
About Velodyne Lidar
Velodyne Lidar (NASDAQ: VLDR) ushered in a new era of autonomous technology with the invention of real-time surround view lidar sensors. Velodyne is the first public pure-play lidar company and is known worldwide for its broad portfolio of breakthrough lidar technologies. Velodyne’s revolutionary sensor and software solutions provide flexibility, quality and performance to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), smart cities and security. Through continuous innovation, Velodyne strives to transform lives and communities by advancing safer mobility for all. For more information, visit www.velodynelidar.com.
To view this piece of content from cts.businesswire.com, please give your consent at the top of this page.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201020005335/en/
Contact information
Media
Landis Communications Inc.
Sean Dowdall
(415) 286-7121
velodyne@landispr.com
About Business Wire
For more than 50 years, Business Wire has been the global leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure.
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Takeda Receives U.S. FDA Approval of MIMRYLO™ (rusfertide), Marking a Potential Shift in the Treatment Paradigm for Polycythemia Vera29.8.2026 01:40:00 EEST | Press release
Takeda (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK)announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of the New Drug Application (NDA)* for MIMRYLO™ (rusfertide) for the treatment of erythrocytosis in adults with polycythemia vera (PV), a blood cancer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260824773270/en/ MIMRYLO Logo MIMRYLO is a first-in-class hepcidin mimetic designed to regulate iron distribution in the body and red blood cell overproduction to control hematocrit levels, which is the ratio of red blood cells to the total amount of blood in the body. Maintaining controlled hematocrit levels below 45% is the primary treatment goal in PV.1 “For patients living with PV, uncontrolled hematocrit can have serious consequences, including an elevated risk of life-threatening thrombotic events," said Andrew T. Kuykendall, M.D., VERIFY lead investigator and Associate Member in the Department of Hematology at Moffitt Cancer Center. “Curre
Rigaku and Tohoku University Establish a New Research Institute for X-Ray Metrology28.8.2026 17:00:00 EEST | Press release
Rigaku Corporation, a group company of Rigaku Holdings and a global solutions partner for X-ray analytical systems (Head Office: Akishima, Tokyo; President and CEO: Jun Kawakami; “Rigaku”), and Tohoku University (Sendai, Miyagi; President: Teiji Tominaga; “Tohoku University”) have established the Rigaku-Tohoku University Co-Creation Research Institute for X-ray Metrology: Beyond The Limits (the “Institute”) at Tohoku University on August 1, 2026. The Institute will advance X-ray metrology technology, develop new metrology methods, and foster the next generation of researchers through an initial three-year collaboration, with the possibility of extension based on its achievements. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260828688510/en/ Inside the Institute As semiconductors become smaller, more multilayered, and incorporate a wider range of materials, manufacturing processes are becoming increasingly complex. X-ray me
BLK: Portfolio Company of Enry’s Island S.p.A., Lists on Euronext Dublin28.8.2026 16:34:00 EEST | Press release
Enry’s Island S.p.A. (WBAG:EIOS), an international venture builder with headquarters in the Tremiti Islands and the Metaverse, announces that BLK Global PLC, one of the portfolio companies within its ecosystem, has successfully completed its admission to trading on Euronext Access Dublin. Trading in the company’s shares commenced on Friday, July 31, 2026, under ticker BLKX and ISIN GB00BPSKS130. BLK was one of the thousands of applications received by Enry’s Island which, following an assessment process based on the Enry’s Model, was selected for a one-year incubation and acceleration programme. The programme supported the company through its subsequent growth stages, ultimately leading to its current stock market listing. Alessandro Pacciana, Investor Relations Manager of Enry’s Island S.p.A., said: “BLK’s listing is the second stock market listing in two years among Enry’s Island’s portfolio companies, while Enry’s Island itself is the world’s first listed venture builder. We are pro
Zambon Announces European Commission Approval of Hopledo® for Adults with Parkinson's Disease and Moderate to Severe Motor Fluctuations28.8.2026 12:00:00 EEST | Press release
Zambon today announced that the European Commission (EC) has granted marketing authorization for Hopledo® (modified-release levodopa/carbidopa) for the treatment of adult patients with Parkinson’s disease and moderate to severe motor fluctuations who have not been sufficiently stabilized with oral levodopa/dopa decarboxylase (DDC) inhibitor-based treatment regimens. Zambon expects to begin the phased introduction of Hopledo® across European markets starting October 2026. The company is working closely with healthcare authorities and other stakeholders to support timely access for people with Parkinson’s disease who continue to experience moderate to severe motor fluctuations despite current oral therapies. Hopledo® is a first-in-class, oral, modified-release formulation of levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD) approved for the treatment of motor fluctuations of Parkinson’s disease, the fastest growing neurological condition in the world according to the World Health Organization1. Despite availab
MTG-I2 Safely in Orbit, Unlocking Faster and Sharper Weather Monitoring Across Europe28.8.2026 11:16:00 EEST | Press release
The Meteosat Third Generation Imager 2 satellite (MTG-I2) has successfully passed its first critical post-launch milestones, completing the first full Meteosat Third Generation constellation in orbit. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260828243790/en/ Credit: Arianespace livestream The imager satellite MTG-I2 is safely in orbit and operating as expected following its successful launch yesterday at 22:11 CEST on board an Ariane 6 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana. Our teams have established communication with the spacecraft, which has also deployed its solar panels to ensure its autonomous production of energy. MTG-I2 is in perfect shape to start its Launch and Early Operations Phase that will bring it to a higher orbit, 36 000km above Earth over the following two weeks, where a longer period of calibration and validation of its instruments will begin. This summer’s extreme weather and wildfires hav
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom