Stellantis is hoping to improve its automated driving capabilities by investing in what it describes as “breakthrough” lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor technology.

The automaker’s investment wing, Stellantis Ventures, is investing in SteerLight, the developer of a new generation of high-performance lidar that uses silicon photonics technology, combining a universal semiconductor material with the speed of photos. This tech claims to allow the sensors to view a vehicle’s surrounding environment in three dimensions with higher resolution, precision and at a lower production cost than currently available.

The automaker is banking on the technology being able to offer Stellantis brand customers improved advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving functions.

SteerLight, a spin-off of the French CEA-Leti technology center, employs frequency-modulated continuous wave lidar based on silicon photonics technology that puts the system on a microchip. The system claims to have automotive-level robustness, with no moving parts, and is compact to deliver flexibility to vehicle designers and engineers as to where they are placed. The company claims the system overcomes some of the challenges of most current lidar technology for vehicles, including sensor size and cost.

Ned Curic, Stellantis chief engineering and technology officer, says: “Automated driving enhancements remain a top priority at Stellantis. The game-changing work at SteerLight can enable enhanced and widespread ADAS applications.”