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development has started, the amount of integrated functionality will accelerate for years to come. Improvements in laser
diodes are also underway-both in areas of packaging and
integration of multiple laser diodes on a single chip or substrate [23]. Finally, disruptive technologies are being developed in optics and photonics. For example, Quanergy is
developing a solid-state laser scanning system for automotive
application without any moving parts [24]. This has the potential to greatly reduce cost, size, and performance repeatability
of lidar systems, while vastly improving scanning speed. The
Massachusetts Institute of Technology has recently developed a photonic IC that contains laser beam steering and an
optical-to-electrical receiver [25].
So far, we have briefly discussed future developments
in lidar hardware and have left many aspects of this broad
topic untouched, such as signal processing and visualization. These are all of great significance. However, it is of
greater importance to take a step back and look at the bigger
(3-D) picture. The ability to accurately map the surrounding
world on a human scale in real time and at low cost is a true
breakthrough. As with any such technology, many predictions can be made, but we are likely to be surprised.

[5] M. Horton. (2016) Meet lidar: The amazing laser technology that's helping
archaeologists discover lost cities. The Conversation. [Online]. Available:
https://theconversation.com/meet-lidar-the-amazing-laser-technology-thatshelping-archaeologists-discover-lost-cities-60915.
[7] Velodyne LiDAR, Inc. (2015). Velodyne LiDAR PUCK VLP-16 data
sheet (rev. C). [Online]. Available: http://velodynelidar.com/docs/datasheet/
63-9229_Rev-C_VLP16_Datasheet_Web.pdf
[8] J. Levinson, M. Montemerlo, and S. Thrun. (2007). Map-based precision
vehicle localization in urban environments. Robotics: Science and Systems
III. [Online]. Available: http://www.roboticsproceedings.org/rss03/p16.pdf
[9] J. Tyndall, Light and Electricity: Notes of Two Courses of Lectures before the
Royal Institution of Great Britain. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1885.
[10] S. A. Hovanessian, Radar System Design and Analysis. Norwood, MA:
Artech House, Inc., 1985.
[11] A. Kilpelä, "Pulsed time-of-flight laser range finder techniques for fast,
high precision measurement applications," Ph.D. dissertation, Univ. Oulu,
Finland, 2004.
[12] OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, Inc. (2014). SPL PL90_3 datasheet
(ver. 1.2). [Online]. Available: http://www.osram-os.com/Graphics/
XPic3/00194568_0.pdf/SPL%20PL90_3.pdf
[13] Excelitas Technologies. (2016). Surface mount 905 nm pulsed semiconductor lasers. [Online]. Available: http://www.excelitas.com/downloads/
DTS_SMD_Laser.pdf

About the Author

[14] S. Morgott, "Range finding using pulse lasers, application note," OSRAM

John Glaser (john.glaser@epc-co.com) received his B.S.
degree in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, in 1987 and his M.S. and Ph.D.
degrees in electrical engineering from the University of Arizona in 1991 and 1996, respectively. From 1998 to 2014, he
was with General Electric Global Research in Niskayuna,
New York, where he worked on high-performance switchmode power converters, very-high-frequency amplifiers,
induction heating, electronic ballasts, Si-carbide-power semiconductors, and magnetics for applications ranging from
lamp drivers to magnetic resonance imaging. In 2014, he
joined the Efficient Power Conversion Corporation as director of applications engineering, where he develops applications, circuits, and methods to maximize the benefit of gallium nitride power transistors and to drive adoption in the
power electronics community. He has published more than
25 papers and has been granted 29 U.S. patents, with several
more pending. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE.

Opto Semiconductors, Regensberg, Germany, 2004.
[15] A. Lidow, J. Strydom, M. de Rooij, and D. Reusch, GaN Transistors for
Efficient Power Conversion. New York: Wiley, 2015.
[16] Efficient Power Conversion Corp. (2015). EPC2016C data sheet.
[Online]. Available: epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/documents/datasheets/
EPC2016C_datasheet.pdf
[17] Efficient Power Conversion Corp. (2015). EPC2040 data sheet. [Online].
Available: epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/documents/datasheets/EPC2040_
datasheet.pdf
[18] Texas Instruments, Inc. (2015). UCC27611 data sheet. [Online]. Available:
www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ucc27611.pdf).
[19] Efficient Power Conversion Corp. (2014). EPC2001C data sheet.
[Online]. Available: epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/documents/datasheets/
EPC2001C_datasheet.pdf
[20] M. De Rooij, Wireless Power Handbook-A Supplement to GaN Transistors for Efficient Power Conversion, 2nd ed. El Segundo, CA. Power
Conversion Publications, 2015.
[21] D. Kinzer and S. Oliver, "Monolithic HV GaN power ICs," IEEE Power
Electron. Mag., vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 14-21, Sept. 2016.

References

[22] E. Ackerman. (2016, Dec. 13). Velodyne says it's got a "breakthrough"

[1] M. Barnard. (2016, July 29). Tesla & Google disagree about LIDAR-

in solid state lidar design. IEEE Spectrum. [Online]. Available: http://spectrum

Which is right? Cleantechnica. [Online]. Available: https://cleantechnica

.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/sensors/velodyne-announces-

.com/2016/07/29/tesla-google-disagree-lidar-right/

breakthrough-in-solid-state-lidar-design

[2] P. McManamon, Field Guide to Lidar, 1st ed. Bellingham, WA: SPIE

[23] OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. (2016, Nov. 7). A milestone for laser

Press, 2015.

sensors in self-driving cars. [Online]. Available: https://www.osram.com/os/

[3] (2012). Starfire optical range at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico.

press/press-releases/a_milestone_for_laser_sensors_in_self-driving_cars.jsp

[Online]. Available: http://www.kirtland.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Display/

[24] E. Ackerman. (2016, Jan. 7). Quanergy announces $250 solid-state LIDAR

Article/825974/starfire-optical-range-at-kirtland-air-force-base-new-mexico

for cars, robots, and more. IEEE Spectrum. [Online]. Available: http://spectrum

[4] Lunar and Planetary Institute. Apollo 11 science experiments-Laser rang-

.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/sensors/quanergy-solid-state-lidar

ing retroreflector. [Online]. Available: http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/

[25] C. Poulton and M. Watts. (2016, Aug. 4). MIT and DARPA pack Lidar

apollo/apollo_11/experiments/lrr/, http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/

sensor onto single chip. IEEE Spectrum. [Online]. Available: http://spectrum

apollo/apollo_11/images/laser_rr_lg.gif

.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/optoelectronics/mit-lidar-on-a-chip

March 2017

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https://www.theconversation.com/meet-lidar-the-amazing-laser-technology-thats http://www.velodynelidar.com/docs/datasheet/ http://www.roboticsproceedings.org/rss03/p16.pdf http://www.osram-os.com/Graphics/ http://www.excelitas.com/downloads/ http://www.epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/documents/datasheets/ http://www.epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/documents/datasheets/EPC2040_ http://www.ti.com/lit/ds/symlink/ucc27611.pdf http://www.epc-co.com/epc/Portals/0/epc/documents/datasheets/ http://spectrum http://www.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/sensors/velodyne-announces https://cleantechnica https://www.osram.com/os/ http://www.kirtland.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/ http://spectrum http://www.ieee.org/cars-that-think/transportation/sensors/quanergy-solid-state-lidar http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/ http://www.lpi.usra.edu/lunar/missions/ http://spectrum http://www.ieee.org/tech-talk/semiconductors/optoelectronics/mit-lidar-on-a-chip

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power Electronics Magazine - March 2017