Velodyne Joins the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program

Velodyne Lidar Advances Smart City Industry

Velodyne Lidar, announced it has joined the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program to promote using lidar technology in smart city solutions. By becoming part of the Qualcomm Smart Cities ecosystem, Velodyne will work more closely with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., governments and solution developers to create smart city applications that improve public services and enhance safety and quality of life.

Smart city solutions can use Velodyne’s lidar sensors to measure and monitor conditions in areas such as pedestrian safety, vehicle traffic, parking space management, speed measurement, V2X communications, queue and asset management, security and more. The sensors can collect highly accurate, detailed 3D information about people, vehicles, bicyclists, public spaces and more, while preserving anonymity.

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“We are pleased to welcome Velodyne Lidar to the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program to implement cutting-edge lidar solutions for a transparent understanding of the smart environment,” said Ashok Tipirneni, Director, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Head of Platform Product Management for Smart Cities. “Velodyne’s lidar sensors and comprehensive 3D data can help equip our Smart Campus and smart city ecosystem members with enhanced safety measures and streamlined operations.”

Until recently, existing camera-based ITS traffic monitoring technologies have been widely used to study traffic flow rates, occupancy, average speed and spot speed. However, as alternative sensors come onto the market, the weaknesses of camera-based approaches become more apparent. For example, cameras have been shown to suffer in low-light conditions, are prone to optical illusions and do not allow for people’s privacy. Velodyne’s lidar sensors provide robust 3D data that allows for superior object detection and tracking in a wide variety of lighting and weather conditions. Furthermore, Velodyne’s sensors do not recognize people’s characteristics, such as their faces or the color of their skin, making it an ideal sensor to support the needs of municipalities without compromising their citizens’ privacy. With Velodyne lidar, smart city applications can advance safety, social welfare and operational efficiency.

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As a real-time application demonstration of the significant value that Velodyne’s lidar can bring to smart city applications, Velodyne and Qualcomm Technologies plan to deploy a Velodyne sensor on the Qualcomm Smart Campus. The lidar is intended to be placed indoors to track people as they move around in a public space. The data can help Qualcomm Technologies to detect traffic and usage patterns so the company can better understand utilization rates and make adjustments to facilities. Velodyne worked with Infinite Computer Solutions and Seoul Robotics, an Automated with Velodyne partner, to build the application.

“The combination of Velodyne’s lidar and Qualcomm Technologies edge computing and 5G capabilities creates a powerful asset for developers to make their smart city ideas a potent solution,” said Jon Barad, Vice President of Business Development, Velodyne Lidar. “Participating in the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program will help us connect with governments and solution providers to build lidar-based smart city applications that transform city infrastructure and services.”

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