REINVENTING THE DRIVING EXPERIENCE: THE FUTURE THROUGH THE LENS OF LEDDARTECH

(Article published in L’AUTOMOBILE Collision magazine, June 2024)

By Isabelle Havasy

Established in 2007, LeddarTech now has branches across Canada, Europe and China. A spin-off from the Institut national d’optique (INO) in Québec City, the Nasdaq-listed company is specialized in the development of driver assistance software for global automakers.

In the long term, this software will incorporate an increasing number of autonomous functions until complete vehicle autonomy is achieved. Today, “We’re talking about safe driving with systems that mainly use cameras or ultrasounds,” explains Frantz Saintellemy, President and CEO of LeddarTech. “We help you stay on the road, monitor the environment in three dimensions or maintain zone verification whether in a school corridor or a reduced-speed area.”

Merging Technologies

But LeddarTech goes further. It extracts data from various sensors (cameras, radars, ultrasounds, and eventually, lidars [light detection and ranging]). It then combines them to recreate a three-dimensional environment in real time. “We do this 15 to 30 times per second. We apply artificial and mathematical intelligence to understand and predict everything that’s occurring on the vehicle’s environmental scene,” stresses Saintellemy. This technology enables trajectory planning, obstacle detection and a safe driving experience. It significantly improves the vehicle’s ability to understand and interact with its environment, even under reduced visibility conditions (smoke, fog, sun).

The progress is incremental. “What’s interesting today is that, with artificial intelligence, the vehicle’s software improves with every kilometre driven,” says Saintellemy. It adapts its functions to the driver’s habits. Over time, it gains experience and becomes more sophisticated.

An Evolving Industry

In the wake of this technological transition, the automotive industry will undergo a metamorphosis, forcing a complete overhaul of the service offering. With the increase in remote updates, “The way in which vehicles are serviced and maintained must evolve and transform.” Robotization and digitization of processes, with calibration and testing that can be carried out remotely, will revolutionize diagnostic and maintenance procedures. These technologies are radically changing the role of technicians, and underlining the growing importance of digital and electronic expertise in a traditionally mechanical sector.

“Connected and intelligent vehicles will also create new opportunities,” concludes Saintellemy. They will influence the environment and business models by stimulating the development of innovative economic avenues around electric and autonomous vehicles. These technologies will generate exceptional opportunities to diagnose and maintain vehicles more efficiently and less invasively.

 

PICTURE CREDIT : LeddarTech Holdings Inc.