GM acquires LIDAR tech company

General Motors Co. has acquired light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology company Strobe, Inc., and as part of the deal, Strobe’s engineering talent is joining GM’s Cruise Automation team to create LIDAR solutions for self-driving vehicles.    General Motors Co. has acquired Strobe, Inc., a three-year-old light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology company based in Pasadena, Calif.
   Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
   As part of the deal, Strobe’s engineering talent is joining GM’s Cruise Automation team to develop LIDAR solutions for self-driving vehicles, GM said.
   LIDAR utilizes light to develop high-resolution images that provide a more accurate view of the world than cameras or radar alone.
   “Strobe’s deep engineering talent and technology backed by numerous patents will play a significant role in helping GM and Cruise bring these vehicles to market sooner than many think,” Strobe Founder and CEO Julie Schoenfeld said.
   Just last month, Cruise Automation unveiled “the world’s first mass-producible car designed with the redundancy and safety requirements necessary to operate without a driver,” GM said. The car will be joining Cruise’s testing fleets in San Francisco, metropolitan Phoenix and Detroit.