#Luminar tech software

The talent that’s here locally is second to none.” “Florida’s a really great place to be doing what we’re doing.

“We are giving companies like Waymo and other large companies a run for their money,” says Jason Eichenholz, Luminar’s co-founder and chief technology officer. The stakes are big - not just for the company, but for Central Florida and its efforts to beef up the non-tourism sectors of its economy.

With early endorsements from Volvo, Toyota and Volkswagen-Audi, Luminar is considered one of the firms that could survive as automakers settle on the technology they’ll use in self-driving vehicles. Some 80-plus firms are chasing that market. Research firm Global Market Insights forecasts the automotive lidar market will reach $3 billion in revenue by 2024. Luminar specializes in a piece of the puzzle that’s increasingly seen as critical - lidar - light detection and ranging or, even simpler, laser radar. It’s a complex puzzle that most think will take a variety of sensors to solve.

#Luminar tech software

The state succeeded at attracting road tests of self-driving vehicles, but lacked home-grown firms engaged in developing the technology that’s involved - until 2017, when an Orlando startup, Luminar Technologies, emerged with gear and software that enable self-driving vehicles to “see” and understand conditions on the road.įor cars to drive themselves, they need to perceive and analyze their surroundings, from road signs to pedestrians to lane indicators and other vehicles. Out-of-state automakers, trucking firms and transit tech companies drove in. Eager to draw a new wave of tech, the state enacted legislation to encourage vehicle trials. In the global race to develop self-driving cars, Florida took an early lead.

Never miss a Feature: Subscribe to Florida TrendĬan an Orlando startup overcome a host of challenges to help Central Florida make a name in self-driving autos?