WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 is one-sixth the size of version 3.0 and only 20 percent the weight.

WeRide, a Chinese autonomous driving company, today announced the release of its next-generation self-driving sensor suite, a lightweight design that allows for a significant reduction in weight and size compared to its predecessor.

WeRide releases next-gen lightweight self-driving sensor kit-CnEVPost

The product, WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0, is one-sixth the size of version 3.0 and occupies less than 0.4 square meters of roof area, according to the company.

WeRide Sensor Suite 4.0 weighs 13 kg net, 20 percent the weight of its predecessor, the company said.

WeRide releases next-gen lightweight self-driving sensor kit-CnEVPost

The suite includes LiDAR, 4D millimeter-wave radar, solid-state LiDAR, blind-area LiDAR, and a camera module developed by the company's in-house team that enables full 360-degree field-of-view coverage, the company said.

It is capable of up to 300 meters of forward-facing, dead-zone-free detection, judging and identifying objects and their motion states, special traffic scenes and signs within the sensing range.

WeRide said the kit requires only 12 processes to assemble the product modules and can achieve an average of 20 minutes to produce a set on a mass production line.

WeRide releases next-gen lightweight self-driving sensor kit-CnEVPost

(Photo source: WeRide)

Founded in 2017 and with global headquarters in Guangzhou, WeRide is an intelligent mobility company with L4 autonomous driving technology.

In November 2019, WeRide launched China's first Robotaxi operation service fully open to the public in Guangzhou, covering hundreds of square kilometers of core urban open roads in Huangpu District and Guangzhou Development Zone.

The company has been conducting regular autonomous driving tests in Wuhan since October 2020, covering 106 km of local open roads.

WeRide shows its self-driving capabilities in heavy rain and during rush hour