Aeva Technologies, a developer of lidar programs based mostly in Mountain View, Calif., has unveiled the Aeva Eve 1V, a high-precision, noncontact motion sensor constructed on its frequency modulated steady wave (FMCW) sensing know-how. The corporate says that the Eve 1V measures an object’s movement with accuracy, repeatability, and reliability—all with out ever making contact with the fabric. That final level is vital for the Eve 1V’s supposed setting: Industrial manufacturing.
At this time’s manufacturing strains are underneath strain to ship quicker manufacturing, tighter tolerances, and 0 defects, typically whereas working with all kinds of delicate supplies. Conventional tactile instruments akin to measuring wheels and encoders can slip, put on out, and trigger pricey downtime. Many noncontact options, whereas promising, are both too costly or fall brief in accuracy and reliability underneath real-world situations, says Mina Rezk, cofounder and chief know-how officer at Aeva.
“Eve 1V was constructed to unravel that precise hole: A compact, eye-safe, noncontact motion sensor that delivers submillimeter-per-second velocity accuracy with out touching the fabric, so producers can eradicate slippage errors, keep away from materials harm, and cut back maintenance-related downtime, enabling larger yield and extra predictable operations,” Rezk says.
In contrast to conventional lidar that sends bursts of sunshine and waits for these bursts to return to make measurements, FMCW constantly emits a low-power laser whereas sweeping its frequency. By evaluating outgoing and returning alerts, it detects frequency shifts that reveal each distance and velocity in actual time. The extra measurement of an object’s velocity to its place in three-dimensional house makes FMCW a kind of 4D lidar.
Eve 1V is the second member of its Eve 1 household, following the launch of the Eve 1D earlier this year. The Eve 1D is a compact displacement sensor able to detecting motion on the micrometer scale, roughly 1/100 the thickness of a human hair. “Collectively, Eve 1D and Eve 1V present how we will take the identical FMCW notion platform and tailor it for various industrial wants: Eve 1D for distance measurement and vibration detection, and Eve 1V for exact velocity and size measurement,” Rezk says.
Future functions might prolong into robotics, logistics, and client well being, the place noncontact sensing might allow the detection of microvibrations on human pores and skin for correct pulse and blood-pressure readings.
FMCW Lidar for Precision Manufacturing
The corporate’s core FMCW structure, initially developed for long-range 4D lidar for automobiles, could be adjusted by software program and optics for extremely exact motion sensing at shut vary in manufacturing, in line with Rezk. This flexibility means the system can observe extraordinarily sluggish actions, all the way down to fractions of a millimeter per second, in a manufacturing facility setting, or it might monitor quicker movement over longer distances in different functions.
By avoiding bodily contact, Eve 1V eliminates put on and tear, slippage, contamination, or the necessity for bodily entry to the half. “That delivers three sensible benefits in a manufacturing facility: One, maintenance-free operation with no measuring wheels to exchange or recalibrate; two, materials friendliness—you may measure delicate, smooth, or textured surfaces with out danger of harm, and three, operational robustness—no slippage errors and fewer stoppages for service,” Rezk says. Put collectively, which means extra uptime, regular throughput, and fewer scrap, he provides.
When measuring velocity, engineers typically depend on considered one of three instruments: encoders, laser velocimeters, or camera-based programs. Every has its strengths and its drawbacks. Conventional encoders are low-cost however can put on down over time. Laser-based velocity-measurement programs, whereas exact, are typically massive and costly, making them troublesome to implement broadly. And camera-based approaches can work for sure inspection duties, however they normally require markers, managed lighting, and sophisticated processing to measure velocity precisely.
Rezk says that the Eve 1V system presents a steadiness of those choices. It supplies exact and constant velocity measurements with out contacting materials, making it compact, protected, and easy to put in. Its outputs are comparable with current encoder programs, and since it doesn’t depend on bodily contact, it requires minimal upkeep.
This strategy helps lower down on wasted vitality from slippage, eliminates the necessity for upkeep tied to components that put on out, and in the end lowers long-term working prices—particularly in comparison with conventional contact-based programs or costly laser choices.
This technique avoids stitching collectively frame-by-frame comparisons and resists interference from daylight, reflections, or ambient gentle. Constructed on silicon photonics, it scales from micrometer-level sensing to millimeter-level precision over longer ranges. The result’s clear, repeatable knowledge with minimal noise—outperforming legacy lidar and camera-based programs.
Aeva is anticipating to start full manufacturing of the Eve 1V in early 2026. The Eve 1V reveal follows a recent partnership with LG Innotek, a elements subsidiary of South Korea’s LG Group, underneath which Aeva will provide its Atlas Extremely 4D lidar for cars, with plans to increase the know-how into consumer electronics, robotics, and industrial automation.
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