GAC Toyota bZ3X Debuts with LiDAR, TOF Tech, Leading Smart Driving

On March 6, GAC Toyota bZ3X was officially launched, offering seven models with a price range of 109,800 to 159,800 RMB. Notably, the advanced intelligent driving version with LiDAR is priced at 149,800 RMB, with a discounted price of 139,800 RMB, making it the lowest-priced SUV with LiDAR-enabled advanced intelligent driving on the market. GAC Toyota emphasizes that LiDAR + cameras + millimeter-wave radar data fusion enables the intelligent driving system to completely overcome challenges such as glare blindness, poor visibility in rain and fog, and nighttime limitations, delivering a safer and more reliable driving experience.

What is a TOF Time-of-Flight Sensor?

A TOF (Time of Flight) sensor is a distance measurement technology that emits light pulses (usually infrared lasers or LEDs) and calculates the time delay between emission and reflection to measure object distance. TOF sensors rapidly and accurately obtain 3D depth information, making them widely used in autonomous driving, 3D facial recognition, robot obstacle avoidance, AR/VR, and industrial measurement applications.

How TOF Sensors Work

1. Light Pulse Emission: The TOF sensor emits a beam of light (typically invisible infrared light) toward a target object.
2. Light Reflection: The light reflects off the object's surface and returns to the sensor.
3. Time Measurement: The sensor calculates the flight time (TOF) of the light pulse, i.e., the time taken from emission to return.
4. Distance Calculation: Using the formula Distance = (Speed of Light × Flight Time) ÷ 2, the system determines the object's exact position relative to the sensor.

Advantages of TOF Sensors

• High-speed distance measurement: TOF can complete depth sensing in milliseconds, making it ideal for real-time applications like autonomous driving and gesture recognition.
• High-precision 3D perception: It can generate high-resolution depth maps, useful for 3D scanning and SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping).
• Operates in all lighting conditions: TOF sensors work reliably in darkness, bright light, and foggy conditions, unlike traditional cameras.
• Compact and easy to integrate: Compared to stereo vision solutions, TOF sensors have a simpler hardware structure and can be integrated into various smart devices.

TOF Technology in Intelligent Driving: Applications and Future Prospects

TOF (Time-of-Flight) technology plays a key role in LiDAR-based perception systems. By calculating the time difference between emitted and reflected laser pulses, it provides high-precision 3D depth information for accurate environmental recognition.

1. Enhancing Autonomous Driving Perception: A Safer and Smarter Driving Experience

In autonomous driving, environment perception is critical for making accurate decisions. TOF LiDAR delivers precise, fast, and stable 3D depth sensing, significantly improving safety and reliability in complex driving scenarios.

(1) High-precision 3D environmental mapping in real time

Compared to traditional cameras + millimeter-wave radar, TOF LiDAR's active sensing allows for precise distance, size, and shape measurements of objects within milliseconds, creating a real-time 3D map of the surroundings. This helps the vehicle "see" and accurately predict the movement of vehicles, pedestrians, and obstacles.

(2) Handling complex road conditions with greater safety

• Detecting static and dynamic obstacles: TOF LiDAR accurately identifies vehicles, pedestrians, guardrails, and even sudden obstacles like animals or cyclists, reducing false detections and missed targets.
• Adapting to various driving environments: It ensures accurate perception in highways, tunnels, overpasses, and urban roads.
• Minimizing extreme weather interference: Unlike cameras affected by rain, fog, glare, and darkness, TOF LiDAR actively emits light, making it immune to poor weather conditions.

(3) Enabling smarter decision-making in high-level intelligent driving

When combined with AI deep learning, TOF LiDAR not only enhances vision but also improves sensor fusion with millimeter-wave radar and cameras, giving autonomous systems superior scene adaptability and decision-making accuracy.

2. Strengthening Nighttime Driving Safety: Breaking Through Low-Light Limitations

Night driving is a major challenge for autonomous systems. Traditional RGB cameras struggle with darkness, high-contrast lighting, and glare, leading to unreliable perception. TOF LiDAR, with its active illumination and precise depth sensing, eliminates nighttime vision limitations and ensures driving safety.

(1) Unaffected by external light, ensuring perception in low-light conditions

• Unlike cameras that rely on ambient light, TOF LiDAR uses infrared laser pulses, allowing it to function in complete darkness (e.g., tunnels, parking garages, rural roads).
• It provides high-resolution 3D depth data, enabling vehicles to recognize pedestrians, obstacles, and road boundaries even in total darkness.

(2) Effectively reducing glare interference for stable nighttime perception

• Traditional cameras suffer from overexposure and loss of detail when facing oncoming headlights, streetlights, or reflective signs.
• TOF LiDAR, utilizing active illumination and time-based measurement, remains unaffected by environmental light, ensuring consistent and accurate depth perception even in extreme lighting conditions.

(3) Improving nighttime pedestrian detection to reduce accident risks

• Many nighttime accidents result from failed pedestrian detection. TOF LiDAR, with its long-range detection (up to 200m), enables early detection of pedestrians and proactive safety responses.
• AI-powered TOF LiDAR can differentiate humans, cyclists, and small animals, minimizing potential hazards during nighttime driving.

(4) Supporting L3/L4 autonomous driving for 24-hour intelligent mobility

• Whether on highways, city streets, or rural roads, TOF LiDAR ensures consistent and precise perception, crucial for higher-level autonomous driving (L3/L4).
• As TOF technology advances, it will integrate with AI vision, edge computing, and high-definition maps, making true 24-hour autonomous driving a reality.

3. Enhancing Advanced Smart Parking: Precise Distance Sensing for Efficient Parking

Smart parking is a key autonomous feature, and TOF LiDAR provides outstanding advantages in parking assistance. GAC Toyota bZ3X, equipped with TOF depth sensing technology, supports over 200 parking scenarios, significantly improving parking precision and safety.

(1) High-precision parking assistance to prevent collisions

• TOF LiDAR offers centimeter-level accuracy, enabling the system to map parking spaces and detect obstacles in real time.
• It ensures safe parking in tight spaces, underground garages, and other complex environments.

(2) Multiple intelligent parking modes

• Automated Parking: The vehicle autonomously completes parking at the press of a button.
• Remote Parking: Drivers can control parking from outside the car via a smartphone app.
• Smart Parking Space Recognition: TOF LiDAR, combined with AI, detects parallel, perpendicular, and diagonal parking spaces and adjusts parking strategies accordingly.

(3) Reliable performance in challenging parking environments

Traditional parking assistance struggles in low light, extreme weather, and underground garages, but TOF LiDAR is unaffected by external lighting, ensuring precise and stable parking assistance anytime, anywhere.

TOF Technology: Driving the Future of Intelligent Mobility

As autonomous driving advances, TOF LiDAR is becoming a key enabler of high-precision perception, ensuring safer, smarter, and more efficient autonomous systems.

With continuous improvements in TOF sensors, their accuracy, range, and cost-effectiveness will further enhance autonomous driving capabilities. GAC Toyota bZ3X, pioneering the integration of TOF LiDAR and AI-powered intelligent driving, is leading the transition to advanced intelligent mobility.

Looking ahead, TOF technology will continue to revolutionize the automotive industry, accelerating the widespread adoption of autonomous driving and bringing a smarter, safer future for all!

Synexens 3D Of RGBD ToF Depth Sensor_CS30

SHOP NOW