Author: Redefining the New Horizon

On August 28, 2022, NIO’s first SUV model ES7 equipped with long-distance and high-precision laser radar from Innovusion was successfully delivered to end-users in cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Hefei, and Xiamen.

ES7 is equipped with the same ultra-long-distance and high-precision laser radar as NIO’s ET7, which provides assistance for earlier, more accurate, and more stable perception and detection of vehicles, empowering a safer, more comfortable, and smarter outdoor driving experience on complex terrains and working conditions such as mountain roads and off-road.

Fashionable and Sporty, Elegant and Refined

For the first time, NIO applies its advanced design language for autonomous driving to an SUV, and ES7’s overall design is simple yet rich in technology, with youthful lines that bring vitality and sportiness.

The design of the tower-shaped laser radar layout allows the ES7 to integrate the laser radar perfectly into its appearance, forming a smooth streamline transition with a trapezoidal contour and rounded corners. The overall shape is elegant and refined.

Ultimate Performance, Ultimate Comfort

Innovusion, as an important component of the Aquila Sensing System, which is equipped on the ES7, protects us for outdoor adventures, giving us freedom.

Outdoor activities allow us to be in a broader space, bringing physical and mental relaxation and release, and unlocking new and rich experiences in a brand new perspective.

However, the complex terrains and relatively harsh driving environments of outdoor journeys also pose significant challenges for our driving experience.

The ES7 Aquila Sensing System equipped with laser radar can not only support conventional driving scenarios such as urban expressways and highways but also adapt to outdoor driving scenarios.

• Faced with bumpy mountain roads, sharp turns with large curvature, and other road conditions, the “Fixation” function of “Innovusion” can dynamically adjust the region of interest (ROI), improve perception and recognition of the front road conditions, and effectively detect potential dangers earlier.

• Thanks to the stronger anti-interference capability, better beam collimation, and higher atmospheric penetration rate of the laser with a wavelength of 1550nm on the ES7 laser radar, it can achieve precise perception when driving in outdoor dust environments.

• Water crossing is a common phenomenon in outdoor environments. The ES7 adopts a tower-style layout for LiDAR which effectively avoids the problem of window obstruction caused by low-lying areas, water crossing or mud splash, providing a clearer and wider detection vision.

• Even in the scenario of no streetlights at night, the vehicle’s detection will not be affected. The addition of Innovusion high-performance LiDAR makes up for the pain points of perception in night driving scenes, better escorting outdoor night driving.

Stringent validation, enjoyable outdoor experience

The LiDAR carried by the ES7 has undergone rigorous testing: environmental tests for resistance to harmful gases and chemical agents; 10 or more cycles of temperature and humidity changes and frost tests；high-temperature baking at 85°C and rapid freezing at -40°C, with over 100 cycles of hot and cold shock tests; impact tests of up to 50 G; light tests which simulate the effects of sunlight and ultraviolet radiation on components, and can continue to operate for thousands of hours under the strongest light conditions of greater intensity than in summer in Turpan……

Through a series of rigorous tests and optimizations conforming to automotive regulations, Innovusion ensures that the product remains stable after various harsh tests, and provides reliable support for us to deal with complex and harsh road conditions for long outdoor driving experiences, such as bumpy, dusty roads and provide an even more exciting and thrilling outdoor experience.

Innovusion’s ultra-long-range and high-precision LiDAR can detect darker vehicles that are difficult to identify during driving, with a standard detection distance (10% reflection rate object) of up to 250 meters and a maximum detection range of 500 meters. It can detect earlier, more accurately, and more stably in outdoor environments, enhancing the comfortable braking experience and driving experience in complex terrain such as outdoor off-roading, and providing protection for us to fully enjoy interesting, comfortable, and warm RV travel.

Innovusion has established a fully industrialized high-performance LiDAR production line with an annual output capacity of up to 100,000 units, and is still expanding production and capacity, escorting the mass production and delivery of high-performance LiDAR to end-users.

Behind the continuous pursuit of technological breakthroughs, Innovusion is committed to using technology to create a better vision for everyone, providing more safe, reliable, intelligent and convenient life experiences.

Jointly with NIO ES7, Innovusion LiDAR guards our perception of everything and senses the subtle, striving for outdoor dreams and enjoying freedom.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.