WeRide releases next-generation small, lightweight sensor suite, designed for mass production of level 4 AD vehicles

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Oct 27, 2021, 11:46 ET

GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WeRide, a world leading L4 autonomous driving company, released WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 (Suite 4.0), marking another key step towards the mass production of self-driving vehicles. Leveraging innovative compatibility design and highly integrated technical solutions, the next-generation sensor suite is the industry's first small-sized, lightweight model providing accurate and reliable perception capabilities for various Level 4 self-driving passenger vehicles.

Video Link: https://youtu.be/dVogB5qMSrs

A comparison between WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 and WeRide Sensor Suite 3.0

Level 4 self-driving vehicle equipped with WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 (real world night photo)

Small and smart, enabling more accurate and reliable perception

Through highly integrated sensors, WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 achieves a significant reduction in size compared to its predecessor, WeRide Sensor Suite 3.0. The product is one sixth the size of the last generation and occupies less than 0.4 square meters of roof area, allowing passengers to enjoy the vehicle's sunroof. Suite 4.0 has a net weight of 13 kilograms, which is just 20 percent of the weight of the previous model and is the lightest sensor suite among the industry.

Suite 4.0 is designed with streamlined surface to blend in with a vehicle's aerodynamical shape, creating a self-driving vehicle that looks more consistent and elegant.

Suite 4.0 has packed in more advanced sensing technologies that includes LiDARs, 4D mm-wave imaging radar, solid-state LiDAR, blind spot LiDARs and WeRide in-house designed camera module. Suite 4.0 enables a 360-degree Field of View ("FoV") with a front detection range up to 300 meters, blind-spot-free detection, accurate motion tracking and object identification.

Suite 4.0 maintains WeRide's unique modular design philosophy, allowing the variation of the sensor suite to be rapidly configured and adapted to a wide range of vehicle models.

Simpler installation and lower cost for mass production

It needs only 12 procedures to assemble a WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0. It is currently the most standardized solution in the industry, with production line installation completed within just 20 minutes per unit. Suite 4.0 itself can be assembled prior to the transportation to a vehicle production line for final installation thanks to the modular design. This not only ensures product quality consistency like the accuracy of the relative positions of the sensors, but also significantly improves self-driving vehicles' production efficiency.

Suite 4.0 is designed as a configurable combination of standardized sub-modules including configurable sensors, harness, and redundancy levels, for different autonomous driving solutions. With a high level of standardization, mass production technology such as injection molding process can be used for common parts to further reduce costs and improve production efficiency.

Proprietary sensor cleaning system

WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 is equipped with a new proprietary sensor cleaning system, which can automatically detect dirt and stains on the sensor surfaces to trigger the cleaning system.

The system adopts a mixture of high-pressure gas and liquid cleaning methods, and a single cleaning shot which takes just 1 second to clean the sensors. The method effectively removes water droplets, mud, dust, frost, oil and other obstructions from the sensors. This ensures operational perception stability under different scenarios, including rain, snow, frost, sandstorm, smog and dust. At the same time, the whole cleaning system is invisible from outside with the compact exterior design.

Empower WeRide to excel in the fully self-driving space

WeRide is the world's first start-up to hold driverless test permits in both China and the United States. The company has launched its driverless testing in Guangzhou, China since July 2020, and received a permit, issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in April 2021, to test driverless vehicles on public roads in California.

WeRide will further accelerate fully self-driving testing with the application of WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0, and promote a new way of smart transportation with safer, more efficient, affordable, and environmentally friendly solutions in shared mobility, on-demand public transportation, and urban logistics.

About WeRide

WeRide is a global leading company that develops Level 4 autonomous driving technologies, bringing smart cities with new products, new business model and new experience.

WeRide has received strategic investments from top-tier global automakers, including Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance and Yutong Group. WeRide is the first startup in the world to hold driverless test permits in both China and the US.

Through strategic alliances with car makers, mobility and logistics service platforms, WeRide offers an all-rounded product mix of Robotaxi, Mini Robobus and Robovan to provide multiple services including online ride-hailing, on-demand transport and urban logistics.

WeRide launched China's first Robotaxi service, completely open to public, in November 2019, in Guangzhou, China, covering an area of 144 square kilometers. WeRide has also conducted commercial pilot operations and fully driverless testing for Mini Robobus and Robovan.

Established in 2017, WeRide is headquartered in Guangzhou, China, and maintains R&D and operation centers in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Wuhan, Zhengzhou and Anqing, as well as San Jose in the US. It employs a highly skilled team of over 700 employees around the globe and has extensive domestic and international experience in R&D, business development and operations.

For more information, please visit:

Website: www.weride.ai; Medium: https://werideai.medium.com/; twitter/LinkedIn/YouTube: WeRide.ai.

SOURCE WeRide