Home > Companies > Thought Leaders > "It’s time to raise the bar on automotive safety," says Aaron Jefferson Vice President of Product at Luminar Technologies

"It’s time to raise the bar on automotive safety," says Aaron Jefferson Vice President of Product at Luminar Technologies

Interview with Aaron Jefferson
Aaron Jefferson, Luminar Technologies' Vice President of Product, discusses a new era of next-generation vehicle safety and autonomous capabilities for production vehicles. Continue reading to learn more about the global automotive game-changer OEMs.

You have to understand what the end consumer wants and needs and marry that with the automakers’ plans and strategies for evolving their vehicle platforms

MEDIA 7: You've been at the forefront of delivering new technologies for over 20 years. What are some of the most exciting technologies you have explored in your career and look forward to discovering in the near future?
AARON JEFFERSON: It’s been incredible to witness the electrification of vehicles and the evolution of assisted driving technologies (ADAS). For me personally, I’ve always been focused on technology that can make vehicles safer and I believe Lidar will be a true game changer for safety and autonomy, which is why I’d call it the most exciting, near-term technology advancement for automotive.

M7: What are the most pressing issues you see Luminar and the industry as a whole facing in 2022?
AJ: It’s staggering that approximately 1.3 million lives are lost on roads every year, and as many as 50 million injuries caused by vehicle accidents. This is despite the increase of advanced driver assistance (ADAS) systems. In fact, according to new testing by AAA’s Automotive Engineering team, vehicles with an active driving assistance system failed to consistently avoid crashes with another car or bicycle during 15 test runs – it’s time to raise the bar on automotive safety. This is a solvable problem.
Luminar is developing an integrated hardware and software solution that enables Proactive Safety™, which surpasses traditional ADAS capabilities because it provides the vehicle with higher-confidence detections faster and farther than camera and radar, enabling proactive collision avoidance at much higher speeds. We believe Proactive Safety has the potential to be the most significant improvement in vehicle safety since the adoption of the 3-point safety belt.

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It’s critical to ensure the leadership team and the business development team agree to a roadmap that meets the needs of customers today and in the future



M7: What are your key strategies for creating a product roadmap?
AJ: There are essentially three parts to creating a compelling product roadmap. Part One is customer/market insight. You have to understand what the end consumer wants and needs and marry that with the automakers’ plans and strategies for evolving their vehicle platforms. This homework phase also has to do with understanding dynamics like supply, pricing, timing. It’s important that this phase is very data driven. If not, it will be nearly impossible to arrive at a consensus. Part two is factoring in the competitive landscape. You need to understand how your technology stack up globally against the alternatives. We have to understand where the competition is today and where it’s going to come from in the future, factoring in players just starting out and well-established. Part three is aligning your resources to deliver on the roadmap. It’s critical to ensure the leadership team and the business development team agree to a roadmap that meets the needs of customers today and in the future. It’s also important that product development and R&D teams are working towards the same priorities and milestones. Having all of these teams aligned and executing to the same plan is imperative.

M7: Luminar's Iris is the most advanced lidar solution for series production autonomy. Could you please share a little bit about Iris and the lidar technology it uses?
AJ: Iris is our sensor solution for next generation safety and autonomy that marries form and function - combining autograde performance and automotive aesthetic seamlessly. Luminar’s Iris is the first lidar-based Proactive Safety and autonomy platform to meet the rigorous performance, safety, cost and auto-grade requirements necessary for automotive series production. Luminar’s Iris sensor was architected to deliver the long-range, high resolution capability required to truly save lives and power autonomy. And, unlike competing, bolted-on solutions, Iris was designed from the beginning to be cleanly integrated into the vehicle roofline, offering the optimal vantage point for enabling autonomy while maintaining the aerodynamics and aesthetics auto enthusiasts demand. We’re working towards the launch of our Iris solution into consumer series production vehicle programs with customers like Volvo, Mercedes Benz, Polestar and more.

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Providing a full-stack autonomous system for series production programs is key to realizing our vision of making autonomous transportation safe and ubiquitous



M7: Luminar’s vision is to make autonomous transportation safe and ubiquitous. How do you ensure this through Sentinel, the industry's first full-stack autonomous solution for series?
AJ: Providing a full-stack autonomous system for series production programs is key to realizing our vision of making autonomous transportation safe and ubiquitous. Sentinel, which is currently under development, consists of a suite of sensors powered by Luminar’s perception software, capable of semantic segmentation of drivable free-space up to 80 meters, lane markers up to 150 meters, and objects beyond 250 meters. Sentinel integrates centralized decision and vehicle actuation provided by our partner Zenseact’s OnePilot software, which provides a single experience throughout the users’ journey. With OnePilot continuously assessing the surroundings to enable safe autonomous highway driving, Sentinel enables automakers to optimize this interface and ensures high levels of safety regardless of who is in control. It also features over-the-air update capability allowing automakers to seamlessly improve the functionality over time.

M7: What is your go-to resource – websites, newsletters, any other – that helps you stay updated on the industry?
AJ: My number one source of information is engaging directly with customers. We are deeply involved and working directly with our customers on development programs, which gives us the best inside track on the market and how it is evolving. Because of these early and deep engagements, no one knows our market as well as we do. By nurturing direct relationships with customers, including C-suite to C-suite connections, we have a crystal clear understanding of what the industry needs and where it’s going.

ABOUT LUMINAR TECHNOLOGIES

Luminar Technologies is a global automotive technology company ushering in a new era of vehicle safety and autonomy. For the past decade, Luminar has built an advanced hardware and software platform to enable its more than 50 industry partners, including the majority of global automotive OEMs. From Volvo Cars for consumer vehicles and Daimler Truck AG for commercial trucks, to tech partners NVIDIA and Intel’s Mobileye, Luminar is the first automotive technology company to enable next-generation safety and autonomous capabilities for production vehicles. For more information please visit www.luminartech.com.

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"What we are seeing for refrigerated supply chains is this pinch -- a need to do ever more with ever less," notes Carsten Spiegelberg, Managing Director - Middle East & Africa, SSI Schaefer. "To meet the growing complexities of the industry, it's not enough to find a quick fix. Companies need material flow experts with industry know-how to consider all angles of a facility and seamlessly blend cold-chain logistics solutions with individual processes." Cold chain storage solutions Careful planning is always the first step in optimizing temperature-controlled infrastructure. To increase efficiency and cost-effectiveness of cold storage warehouses, there are several factors to consider from the beginning. Optimizing air circulation and product storage density Since different products and comestibles require different storage temperatures, cold storage warehouse temperatures can range from -34°C to 0°C, with some even reaching 21°C. However, there is often a trade-off between storage density and air flow. Selecting the right storage system that enhances the cooled air circulation while increasing the storage density in the given facility footprint is critical in the planning phase. Semi-automated solutions for cold storage space optimization Ideal for deep-freeze facilities for bulk storage in the manufacturing sector and delivering maximum space utilization, channel storage setups with semi-automated drive-in racking systems are an accessible step towards automation, offering high throughput, enhanced safety, and reduced time for workers in refrigerated facilities. Capable of following either the Last in-First Out (LIFO) or the First in-Last Out (FIFO) principle, these systems use channel vehicles like SSI Orbiter® and a corresponding docking station to store and retrieve pallets. Compared to a static, manual pallet rack system, a mobile racking storage system is an effective way to boost storage capacity in a given space -- by up to 85%, while maintaining full selectivity typically required in distribution centers. This system involves racks that move along floor rails via electric motors to create an aisle only where needed, and it offers smart lighting that only activates in occupied aisles for reducing energy consumption, as well as a night parking option that optimizes rack spacing for maximal cold air circulation. Future-ready automation systems for a seamless, cost-optimized cold chain Due to the need for cold goods to maintain strict timetables and a closed cold chain, storage systems must handle incoming goods efficiently and cope with expected and unexpected upticks in demand. The best way to systematically manage the complexities of cold-chain material flows is with a fully automated storage system that seamlessly interconnects components, such as: Pallets Automated storage & retrieval systems (ASRSs): The SSI Exyz is an automated high-density storage system with extremely high space utilization, particularly in high-bay warehouses, and it saves 25% of energy compared to conventional machines while functioning across different temperatures. Shuttle solutions: As a future-proof, fully automated channel storage option, the SSI Lift & Run Shuttle System (SLR) provides simultaneous access to multiple racks for top-tier performance and high storage density. Other storage types Shuttle solutions for layer trays: For high-volume picking of goods such as comestibles for shop deliveries, tray shuttles and conveying systems enable fully automated robotic picking or support efficient semi-automatic goods-to-person picking. Storage solutions for container, bin and carton loads: For loads of varying dimensions, scalable solutions using SSI Miniload, Flexi Shuttle or Cuby maximize storage density while accommodating specific load and performance requirements to support automatic or semi-automatic case and piece picking. Platforms for central control of refrigerated facilities Although there are various warehouse automation technologies that track material flows, issues such as coordinating multiple systems often arise and there is a clear need for centralized monitoring and control -- particularly with the complexities of refrigerated facilities. To tie all aspects of a cold storage warehouse together, end-to-end software such as WAMAS® or SAP EWM (Extended Warehouse Management) offer clear visualizations and comprehensive tools to manage processes, resources, and stock levels.

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