Israel-based LiDAR company Innoviz Technologies announced its partnership with Shaanxi Heavy Duty Automobile, a truck manufacturer based in Xian China, which is also known as Shacman Trucks outside China. With the cooperation, Innoviz will supply its LiDAR sensors for developing autonomous trucks for an upcoming project in one of the biggest ports in China.

At the first stage of the project, InnovizPro LiDAR is being utilized in Shaanxi Truck's autonomous proof of concept project at the Chinese port, with Shaanxi's ultimate goal being the deployment of up to 600 trucks at this site. The Innoviz LiDAR used in this proof of concept project provides sensing, mapping and location functions for autonomous driving at speeds of under 30 kilometers per hour in the harbor area. The LiDAR is used to create detailed maps, as well as provide software to compare the point cloud image created by the LiDAR in real time to the location provided via preloaded maps generated by LiDAR. This includes real-time identification of "free space" or "drivable space", as well as object detection.

(Image: Innoviz)

Chinese legislation stipulates that by May 2020, all trucks are required to have at least two Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS): a mandatory camera and either a radar or LiDAR system.

"I have been introducing excellent Israeli technologies to Chinese OEMs for many years, and I am very excited about the future of Innoviz's LiDAR at Shaanxi Trucks and other Chinese OEMs," said Mr. Shen Yong, Director of Xiamen Zhongxinyun Intelligent Co., the system integrator for this project, which is responsible for the sensor fusion.

"Innoviz sees tremendous opportunity in extending autonomous technology to the trucking sector," said Omer Keilaf, CEO and co-founder of Innoviz. "We are therefore looking forward to the work ahead for this project with Shaanxi Trucks."