Luminar is shipping out orders of its lidar sensors to Volvo as the automaker is preparing to start production of its EX90 electric vehicles, the company said today. Volvo will use the laser sensor to enable safety and self-driving features in the EX90, making it the “first global consumer vehicle to standardize this technology,” Luminar notes in a press release.
The placement allows the sensor to sort of blend into the roofline; however, the company’s current “Iris” sensors are still a bit obvious when looking at its partner vehicles like the EX90 and new Mercedes Benz racing vehicles. With Luminar’s new Halo sensor, the company is shrinking the overall size of the unit so it adds less than one inch of height to the roof of cars, weighs under one kilogram, and only uses about 10 watts of power.