LightIC Technologies Announces New FMCW LiDAR with Exceptional Cost and Power-efficiency for Automotive and Robotic Applications

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--LightIC Technologies (“LightIC”), a leading supplier of silicon photonics–based FMCW LiDAR, and indie, an automotive solutions innovator, today announced a strategic partnership and the completed reference design, integrating indie’s iND83301 System-on-Chip (SoC) into LightIC’s silicon photonic FMCW LiDAR architecture.

The integration of indie’s iND83301 SoC into LightIC’s FMCW LiDAR architecture, successfully replacing FPGA-based processing, provides significant improvements in size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C), representing a key milestone toward the commercialization of LiDAR. The combined platform achieves an 80% reduction in power consumption and improved cost efficiency compared to the current market offering for existing FPGA-based platforms. The small footprint of iND83301 considerably decreases the solution's overall size by 40%, making it viable for multiple use cases across automotive and robotics, including humanoids.

“FMCW LiDAR has long been recognized for its advantages in long range, point-by-point velocity measurement, and sunlight immunity, but system-level complexity has limited adoption and commercialization,” said Jie Sun, CEO of LightIC Technologies. “By integrating indie’s iND83301 with our highly-integrated silicon photonics platform, we have redefined FMCW LiDAR’s SWaP-C and demonstrated a scalable architecture that meets OEM requirements for global deployment.”

Long-Range FMCW LiDAR for Automotive

Based on LightIC’s silicon photonics FMCW architecture and indie’s iND83301 SoC, LightIC has delivered Lark™, its long-range FMCW LiDAR product, achieving a perception capability exceeding 500 meters. Lark is designed for advanced automotive and intelligent transportation applications that require extended range, precise velocity measurement, and robust performance in challenging lighting environments.

Smallest FMCW LiDAR for Robotics and Physical Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Building on the same optimized platform, LightIC has also introduced FR60™, the smallest known FMCW LiDAR, with a form factor approximately the size of a tennis ball. Enabled by the same improved SWaP-C results, the FR60 targets robotics, industrial automation, and emerging physical AI applications, delivering high-resolution 4D perception in a compact and power-efficient design.

This partnership will help accelerate the adoption of FMCW LiDAR by enabling scalable, efficient, and production-ready solutions with a compelling roadmap addressing long-term opportunities in automotive, robotics, and physical AI.

For more information please visit: LightIC’s FR60TM, a compact 4D LiDAR integrating indie’s iND83301

About LightIC

Founded in 2019, LightIC Technologies is a global leader in silicon photonics–based FMCW LiDAR, with deep expertise in designing and integrating silicon photonic chips for scalable, high-performance sensing. The company develops highly integrated LiDAR-on-a-chip solutions powering next-generation automotive, robotics, and physical AI applications. LightIC is among the few companies worldwide to have successfully delivered low-SWaP-C FMCW LiDAR systems into real-world deployment. 
For more information, please visit: www.lightictech.com