How Will Aeva And Nikon’s Deal Reshape Industrial Metrology Inspection And Manufacturing?

Did you know that over the last few years, the usage of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) has increased in self-driving vehicles?

This is due to the technology’s ability to create a virtual 3D representation of roads and the objects on and around them. It helps detect depth, velocity and the movement of objects around them. Additionally, it can also enhance how autonomous vehicles perform in dense and low-network coverage environments.

Furthermore, it can be used in land management, hazard assessment, forestry, agriculture, geologic mapping, surveying rivers and more. Yet, in recent days, the use of this technology has expanded to the manufacturing arena!

So, how is Nikon aiming to enhance LiDAR applications with its latest deal with Aeva?

Let’s explore!
 

What Does The Aeva-Nikon Deal Comprise Of?

 

• Aeva, a leader in next-generation sensing and perception systems, announced it signed a multi-year deal with Nikon.

• This will help Nikon, a pioneer in optical technology, enhance the capabilities of its metrology and inspection equipment for industrial automation and metrology markets.

• The deal will see Aeva power the next generation of high precision industrial metrology inspection and quality control products with its advanced micron-precise LiDAR-on-Chip technology.

• LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which is a remote sensing method, uses light to measure ranges by emitting light in pulsed laser form. This technology is found in self-driving cars!

• LiDAR-on-chip is an alternative solution that offers benefits such as durability, scalability, cheaper production costs, efficiency and others.

• Aeva said it the target for start of production is planned for late 2024, with Nikon’s products to use Aeva’s sensors expected from 2025.

• While Soroush Salehian (Co-Founder and CEO at Aeva) didn’t mention how many sensors Aeva will provide or the cost of the deal, he did say the volume would be less than what it was for the automotive market. He also mentioned that each sensor costs ten times that of an automotive sensor.

 

So, How Will The Deal Benefit Nikon Industrial Metrology?

 

• The deal, which builds on the previously announced collaboration, will see Aeva’s technology integrated into Nikon’s Industrial Metrology and automated inspection product suite, which could then be deployed to customers across the automotive, aerospace and renewable energy industries. 

• Essentially, this will enable Nikon’s industrial machines to scan objects off an assembly line for microscopic defects.

• While Nikon already makes scanning machines that inspect and identify tiny defects on cars and other objects, with the aim of improving manufacturing quality, the issue at hand is that those machines are too big, heavy and expensive to operate on each vehicle or object on the line.

• Aeva’s sensor will help make smaller, cheaper and quicker machines that can inspect more vehicles or objects!

 

What Did The Stakeholders Say About The Deal?

 

• Tadashi Nakayama, CEO at Nikon Metrology NV, General Manager of Industrial Metrology Business Unit and Corporate Vice President at Nikon, said, “This core perception technology opens new opportunities for our products thanks to Aeva’s high accuracy and faster measurements ... We are pleased to move our collaboration with Aeva to the production phase to deliver best-in-class products to our customers in the automotive manufacturing, aerospace and energy industries.”

• Soroush Salehian, Co-Founder and CEO at Aeva, said, “Today’s production win marks a significant milestone for Aeva in the growing field of automated manufacturing and it validates that Aeva’s unique FMCW technology goes well beyond automated driving with a perception platform powering the next wave of automation.”

• “We are excited to advance to our first commercial deployment with Nikon, a recognized leader in delivering high precision industrial solutions of the highest quality and look forward to leveraging our perception platform to bring additional programs to market.”

Will Nikon’s deal with Aeva put it in a leading position in the manufacturing market? Do you think competing brands will follow suit with such collaborations?
 
Let us know in the comments below!