LiDARis the most critical component ofautonomous vehicles. As theautonomous vehicleindustry enters mass production, theLiDARmarket is about to enter mass production.

According to data from the French market research consultancy Yole Developpement, by 2032, the revenue of theLiDARmarket will exceed 10 billion US dollars. American Velodyne, Quanergy, and IBEO in Germany have become top players in this field. Beijing Surestar Technology Co. Ltd.,is also becoming a strong competitor in the globalLiDARindustry with its 13 years of deep research in the mappingLiDARmarket, as well as its own research and development of chips and numerous intellectual property rights.

Surestar Technologyis the only company in the world that has both the measurement and navigation type ofLidar. In May 2016, it was the first to release a 16-line hybrid solid-stateLidarforautonomous vehiclesin China. So far, it has developed two product lines, R-Fans and C-Fans, including 16- and 32-wire mechanical lidars, 64-line and 128-line hybrid solid-stateLidarproducts. TheseLidars are now available for use on robots, unmanned logistics vehicles andautonomous vehicles.

In addition,Surestar Technologyis developing an all-solid-stateLidaralong the 3D Flash technology path, or it will become a competitor with companies such as Velodyne Germany IBEO.Surestar Technologyis also developing a lighter and more expensiveLidarproduct to provide solutions for the development of theautonomous vehiclesmarket in the next decade.

Quantitative work methodology

“My research fieldscan be connected.” Zhang Yushu, co-founder and CTO of North Branch, has studied computer, software engineering andLidarin different periods. He learned experimental methodology from Western companies to create an internationally competitive Chinese cutting-edge technology product.

In 1996, Zhang Yushu, who graduated from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, entered Tsinghua University as an assistant engineer at CIMS-ERC and worked on computer integrated manufacturing. Three years later, Zhang Yushu was awarded a full scholarship to the CAD major of the National University of Singapore. However, because the professional prospects did not meet his expectations, he turned to work in a US company's Asia-Pacific R&D center as a software engineer, focusing on the research of chip-pin gold wire high-precision bonding machines. During this period, he was sent to the United States for half a year to complete the project programming work.

In this company called Kulicle & Sofia, Zhang Yushu met a team leader who graduated from the University of Michigan. ThisMalay Chinese gave him great inspiration. "Things learned must be used, and some quantitative things are practiced." At the same time, Zhang Yushu learned the theory of embedded systems. "I look for data to combine theory with practice."

In 2000, Zhang Yushu combined his research expertise, work methodology andLidar. At that time, he entered Optech Inc. as a senior engineer in Canada, researching and mappingLidar, and doing embedded software programming development.

In 2005, Zhang Yushu, who has accumulated a profound industry background and professionalism, chose to return to China. He learned about China's emphasis on theLidarindustry and saw the status and market potential of the domestic industry. Therefore, he resolutely began to establishSurestar Technology, determined to be the ChineseLidarbrand. At that time, Zhang Yushu, 31, was enthusiastic and courageous. "At that time, I didn't think about what projects or subsidies I might get. I just wanted to be myLidar. I think I can do better than the rest of the country."

Because of Zhang's work experience in the Lidar companies in Singapore and Canada, some domestic research institutes are very interested in him. In 2007, Zhang Yushu was specially invited as a visiting researcher by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and soon made major breakthroughs in research and industry. The first study was initiated in April 2006 and in August, with results in five months. Zhang Yushu was also invited to participate in the research and development of some national projects.

In the following three years,Surestar Technologyquickly gained a foothold in the mappingLidarmarket and became an invisible hegemon.

Self-developed chips seize the opportunity

In the eyes of scientific research partners, Zhang Yushu is a steady leader, but he can always be unique.

In 2009, with the intensified competition in theLidarmarket, Zhang Yushu decided to develop the self-developedLidarIC (integrated circuit) with his keen technical sense of smell. “North Branch Sky Map is going to drive the market, or to do something to create on the tide.”

The chip is unfamiliar to other participants in the industry, but for Zhang Yushu, he has experience in chip research and development of circuit design, and he is good at using quantitative models. "In the industrial system, only the model of the electronics industry is the most complete. The capacitive components, the inductive devices, these digital devices, the mathematical model is very complete." “This means that the chip, or the development engineer for the board design, can rely heavily on tools to aid design support.”

Zhang Yushu has trained a chip research and development team forSurestar Technology, which makesSurestar Technologyin the development of subsequent products, "the detection ability of weak signals is very strong, and the anti-interference ability to the environmental background is also very strong." Under the dual guarantee of “signal quality and mapping capability”,Surestar Technology’s product iteration capability and speed have also become the industry leader.

Since then, the North Branch has developed a strong support for the navigation obstacle avoidanceLidar. Zhang Yushu often tells the team that “Surestar Technologyis a company with more than ten years of history. In the constant technical iteration, the pursuit is to lead.”

It is also because of the rapid development of core technology,Surestar Technologyhas developed two series of hybrid solid-stateLidarproducts, R and C, whichcover multiple specifications such as 16-wire, 32-wire, 64-wire, and 128-line, and plans to introduce an all-solid-stateLidarbased on the 3D Flash route.

Joined forces

In 2016, both Zhang Rushu andSurestar Technologyhave important significance. In May of this year,Surestar Technologyreleased the first 16-line 360° scanningLidarR-Fans-16 forautonomous vehicles. In the previous three years, Zhang Yushu has completed the technical reserve. However, based on the immature market conditions, the development ofSurestar Technologysmart car and intelligent robot navigationLidarhas only officially started in 2015.

"In the field of mapping andLidar, we are convinced that we can seek a breakthrough, but it is not enough. Because the laser mapping radar market is very narrow after all, we are facing the impact of the IT industry, so we are passive to a certain extent."Zhang Yushu led the team to maintain a good growth rate and leading edge. His strategy is to "find talent" and "find his own path."With more efficient and high-quality resources,Surestar Technologyhas invested more manpower, material resources and financial resources into theautonomous vehiclesindustry, which is a bigger future market.

In the case of Zhang Yishu's self-developed chip and navigationLidar, Ehsan Afshari, a high-frequency chip expert in the United States and a professor at the University of Michigan, came to China for the first time in 2015. He went to several university research institutes to give a speech and look at the changes that are taking place in China. At that time, he had trained a number of doctoral graduates, one of whom also became a professor of MIT. His patents also reached 10, and Qualcomm also purchased one of the patented technologies.

What Ehsancouldn’t have expectedwas that when he came to China again in 2018, he had become a partner with Chinese entrepreneurs. He conducted in-depth technical exchanges and cooperation prospects with Mr. Zhang Yushu at the office of Beijing Branch China.

In the eyes of Ehsan,Surestar Technologyis an innovative company, and Zhang Yushu is a rigorous and reliable developer and manager.“They set goals and they started to move forward quickly. I like the initiative and focus on him.” “Management brings vitality to the company.”

Ehsan knew a year ago thatSurestar Technologysuccessfully developed its ownLidarchip, and produced a number of products that were welcomed by the market and quickly updated and iterated. “Impressive”, after being invited bySurestar Technology, Ehsan flew to Beijing for the first time and visited the laboratory and mass production factory ofSurestar Technology. "Zhang Yushu's professional knowledge and technical expertise are very commendable." "He is a person who can be trusted." For Ehsan, his combined efforts with Zhang Yushu "can get good results." They also reached a consensus that only when the cost of new technology is minimized can it bring about a breakthrough contribution to the industry and truly achieve "theory-linked practice."

Ehsan became the chief scientist of the North Branch. He will work with Zhang Yushu andSurestar Technologyto carry out the upgrade and research and development of IC to ensure that the high-performanceLidarof theLidarchip technology level of Beijing Branch is always at the international leading level and the best balance between R&D technology and cost.

"We have had a lot of exciting cooperation results, we can see our market-oriented products within one to two years."

This is the result of accumulated efforts for both North Branch and Zhang Yushu. Zhang Yushu still likes to research his high-tech on the laboratory console. There, he saw thewholeworld.