Lidar {hardware} firm Luminar introduced it has acquired Civil Maps, a lidar knowledge firm based mostly in San Francisco. The acquisition brings ultra-detailed and mechanically updating 3D maps of assorted cities into Luminar’s fold because it plans to deliver absolutely autonomous autos into actuality.

Luminar will combine the Civil Maps property, which embrace navigation knowledge, into its Sentinel platform. Sentinel is the corporate’s full-stack software program suite resolution that’s at present in improvement for lidar-equipped automobiles, just like the upcoming Volvo EX90.

SIAC is utilizing Luminar’s lidar for the Rising Auto R7 EV, which went into manufacturing final October in China. The R7 is the primary car with full Luminar {hardware} that might be obtainable to clients and can ultimately be able to autonomous driving on highways.

The aim for the automakers — and Luminar — is to construct autonomous autos utilizing lidar laser tech that may detect the shapes and distances of objects. It’s a expertise that Tesla CEO Elon Musk dismisses, preferring to make use of digicam vision-based AI for his firm. Tesla was later discovered to be testing Luminar expertise for inside functions.