Innoviz Technologies Ltd.

Y-sensors Ltd.

Michael Girgel

Amit Steinberg

Ronen Eshel

Nir Osiroff

David Elooz

Guy Zohar

Sason Sourani

Moshe Medina

Yishay Netzer

Amir Day

Yair Alpern

Matityahu Shani

Smadar David Raly

Idan Bakish

Alon Gan

Oded Yeruhami

Oren Aharon

Sergey Dubrovskiy

Yair Antman

Matiyahu Shani

A LIDAR system including a MEMS scanning device is disclosed. The LIDAR system includes a light source, a light deflector, a sensor, and a processor. The light deflector deflects light from the light source or light received from an environment outside a vehicle in which the LIDAR system is installed. The sensor detects the light received from the light source or the environment. The processor determines a distance of one or more objects in the environment from the vehicle based on the signals from the sensor. The light deflector includes one or more actuators, which include one or more actuating arms. Connectors connect the actuating arms to an MEMS mirror or other deflector. The actuating arms move when subjected to an electrical field in the form of a voltage or current. Movement of the actuating arms causes movement of the MEMS mirror or deflector causing it to deflect light.

Efficient optical transmission in LIDAR systems

A deflector unit for a light scanning system includes a mirror and at least one actuator arm. The actuator arm may include an anchor end and a coupler end. The at least one actuator arm may include an anchor end, a coupler end, and an actuator axis that extends from a first midpoint to a second midpoint, the first midpoint being a midpoint of an edge of the at least one actuator arm at the coupler end and the second midpoint being a midpoint of an edge of the at least one actuator arm at the anchor end, the mirror being coupled to the coupler end of the at least one actuator arm, wherein the mirror is configured to tilt about at least one tilting axis in response to a movement of the at least one actuator arm, and wherein a shortest distance of the mirror from the first midpoint is less than a shortest distance of the mirror from the second midpoint.

Actuators and couplers for scanning mirrors

A microelectromechanical system (MEMS) mirror assembly may comprise a frame and a MEMS mirror coupled to the frame. The MEMS mirror assembly may also include at least one piezoelectric actuator including a body and a piezoelectric element. When subjected to an electrical field, the piezoelectric element may be configured to bend the body, thereby moving the MEMS mirror with respect to a plane of the frame. The MEMS mirror assembly may further include at least one heating resistor configured to heat the piezoelectric element when an electric current passes through the at least one heating resistor.

Electrooptical systems having heating elements

MEMS mirror having spaced actuators

A MEMS scanning device may include: a movable MEMS mirror configured to pivot about at least one axis; at least one actuator operable to rotate the MEMS mirror about the at least one axis, each actuator out of the at least one actuator operable to bend upon actuation to move the MEMS mirror; and at least one flexible interconnect element coupled between the at least one actuator and the MEMS mirror for transferring a pulling force of the bending of the at least one actuator to the MEMS mirror. Each flexible interconnect element out of the at least one interconnect element may be an elongated structure comprising at least two turns at opposing directions, each turn greater than 120&#xb0;.

Polygon mirror and mems interconnect with multiple turns

A planar Coriolis gyroscope includes at least two counter oscillating masses attached to a common rigid frame by one or more elastic members defining an excitation axis. The frame is attached to a support region by one or more additional elastic members which together with the masses define a Coriolis resonator. The Coriolis resonator responds to inertial rotation of the gyroscope and in conjunction with a position pickoff provides a signal indicative on the gyroscope inertial rotation.

Planar Coriolis gyroscope

A multi-axis force-balance accelerometer has a proof mass included within an enclosure. An electrically conductive tether, flexible in 6 degrees of freedom, provides a compliant electrically conductive link between the proof mass and the enclosure. Mechanical stops limit a range of motion of the proof mass. The enclosure includes captive plates and force balancing control loops for positioning the proof mass in a null position within the enclosure for each of the 3 rectilinear reference axes, and in a null position within the enclosure for each of 3 angular reference axes. The electrically conductive tether is sufficiently mechanically compliant that, on deactivation of the force balancing control loops for the rectilinear axes, the proof mass falls so as to rest on the mechanical stops.

Tethered, levitated-mass accelerometer

Growing community of inventors

Kiryat Motzkin, Israel

Michael Girgel