DETROIT — General Motors said on Monday that it had acquired a company that specializes in laser-imaging technology geared toward enhancing the development of autonomous vehicles.þþG.M., the nation’s largest automaker, said it had bought Strobe, a three-year-old company based in Pasadena, Calif., and will fold its operations into Cruise Automation, a subsidiary dedicated to self-driving technology.þþThe deal gives G.M. in-house engineering expertise in the development of so-called lidar sensors that create high-definition images for vehicles operated by computers.þþTerms of the acquisition were not disclosed.þþAdding Strobe to its Cruise operations will allow G.M. to accelerate its efforts to build and test electric cars with self-driving capabilities.þþUnder its chief executive and chairwoman, Mary T. Barra, the automaker has been rapidly expanding its fleet of Chevrolet Bolt electric sedans equipped with autonomous features.þþThe efforts have been moving forward in earnest since early last year, when G.M. bought Cruise Automation, a software company based in San Francisco.þþCruise’s chief executive, Kyle Vogt, said the deal for Strobe would help G.M.’s autonomous vehicles visualize roads and driving conditions, and bolster the company’s overall efforts to advance self-driving technology.þþ“Strobe’s lidar technology will significantly improve the cost and capabilities of our vehicles so that we can more quickly accomplish our mission to deploy driverless vehicles at scale,” Mr. Vogt said in a statement.þþStrobe, which was started in 2014, has fewer than 15 employees, G.M. said, including a small number of software engineers. The company was spun off from the firm OEwaves, which has provided imaging products for use in the defense industry.þþThe company’s founder, Julie Schoenfeld, said Strobe held patents that would “play a significant role in helping G.M. and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than you think.”
Source: NY Times
