Velodyne Lidar acquires Mapper.ai.

Velodyne Lidar provider of smart, powerful lidar solutions for autonomy and driver assistance has acquired mapping and localization software as well as intellectual property assets from Mapper.ai. Financial terms were not disclosed. Mapper technology will enable Velodyne to accelerate the ​development of Vella, breakthrough software that establishes its directional view Velarray lidar sensor. The Velarray is the first solid-state Velodyne lidar sensor that is embeddable and fits behind a windshield, as an integral component for superior, more effective advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). “Expanding our team to develop Vella is a giant step towards achieving our goal of mass-producing​ an ADAS solution that dramatically improves roadway safety. Mapper technology gives us access to some key algorithmic elements and accelerates our development timeline. Together, our sensors and software will allow powerful lidar-based safety solutions to be available on every vehicle.”Anand Gopalan, CTO of Velodyne.