Velodyne Lidar announced an agreement with Nikon Cooperation, under which Sendai Nikon Corporation, a Nikon subsidiary, will manufacture LiDAR sensors for Velodyne with plans to start mass production in the second half of 2019.

Through the partnership with Nikon to boost LiDAR sensor production, Velodyne aims to expand its business in North America, Europe and Asia, indicated Marta Hall, President and CBDO, Velodyne Lidar. The company has set a goal to produce LiDAR in millions of units to meet the rising demands in the automotive industry and other applications.

(Image: Velodyne Lidar)

Velodyne will leverage Nikon’s mass manufacturing prowess as LiDAR sales expand within other emerging markets. Accelerated by its partnership with Nikon, Velodyne’s low cost LiDAR solutions will benefit a range of business segments, including robotics, security, mapping, agriculture, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Nikon invested US$ 25 million in Velodyne last year and now aims to combine Nikon’s optical and precision technologies with Velodyne’s LiDAR sensor technology. Since the investment, both companies have been investigating a business alliance that includes collaboration in technology development and manufacturing.