Velodyne Joins the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program

December 22, 2020

Velodyne Lidar Advances Smart City Industry

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#VelodyneLidar—Velodyne Lidar, Inc. (Nasdaq: VLDR, VLDRW) today announced it has joined the Qualcomm® Smart Cities Accelerator Program to promote using lidar technology in smart city solutions. By becoming part of the Qualcomm Smart Cities ecosystem, Velodyne will work more closely with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., governments and solution developers to create smart city applications that improve public services and enhance safety and quality of life.

Velodyne Lidar Advances Smart City Industry

Smart city solutions can use Velodyne’s lidar sensors to measure and monitor conditions in areas such as pedestrian safety, vehicle traffic, parking space management, speed measurement, V2X communications, queue and asset management, security and more. The sensors can collect highly accurate, detailed 3D information about people, vehicles, bicyclists, public spaces and more, while preserving anonymity.

“We are pleased to welcome Velodyne Lidar to the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program to implement cutting-edge lidar solutions for a transparent understanding of the smart environment,” said Ashok Tipirneni, Director, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Head of Platform Product Management for Smart Cities. “Velodyne’s lidar sensors and comprehensive 3D data can help equip our Smart Campus and smart city ecosystem members with enhanced safety measures and streamlined operations.”

Until recently, existing camera-based ITS traffic monitoring technologies have been widely used to study traffic flow rates, occupancy, average speed and spot speed. However, as alternative sensors come onto the market, the weaknesses of camera-based approaches become more apparent. For example, cameras have been shown to suffer in low-light conditions, are prone to optical illusions and do not allow for people’s privacy. Velodyne’s lidar sensors provide robust 3D data that allows for superior object detection and tracking in a wide variety of lighting and weather conditions. Furthermore, Velodyne’s sensors do not recognize people’s characteristics, such as their faces or the color of their skin, making it an ideal sensor to support the needs of municipalities without compromising their citizens’ privacy. With Velodyne lidar, smart city applications can advance safety, social welfare and operational efficiency.

As a real-time application demonstration of the significant value that Velodyne’s lidar can bring to smart city applications, Velodyne and Qualcomm Technologies plan to deploy a Velodyne sensor on the Qualcomm Smart Campus. The lidar is intended to be placed indoors to track people as they move around in a public space. The data can help Qualcomm Technologies to detect traffic and usage patterns so the company can better understand utilization rates and make adjustments to facilities. Velodyne worked with Infinite Computer Solutions and Seoul Robotics, an Automated with Velodyne partner, to build the application.

“The combination of Velodyne’s lidar and Qualcomm Technologies edge computing and 5G capabilities creates a powerful asset for developers to make their smart city ideas a potent solution,” said Jon Barad, Vice President of Business Development, Velodyne Lidar. “Participating in the Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program will help us connect with governments and solution providers to build lidar-based smart city applications that transform city infrastructure and services.”

Velodyne’s sensors provide rich computer perception data that make it quick and easy for developers, cities, municipalities, government agencies and enterprises to build highly accurate 3D models of any environment. The sensors deliver a high-resolution image that can accurately measure and analyze the environment. Their durability, reliability, power-efficiency and versatility make them ideal solutions for demanding smart city applications.

About Velodyne Lidar

Velodyne Lidar (Nasdaq: VLDR, VLDRW) ushered in a new era of autonomous technology with the invention of real-time surround view lidar sensors. Velodyne is the first public pure-play lidar company and is known worldwide for its broad portfolio of breakthrough lidar technologies. Velodyne’s revolutionary sensor and software solutions provide flexibility, quality and performance to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), robotics, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), smart cities and security. Through continuous innovation, Velodyne strives to transform lives and communities by advancing safer mobility for all. For more information, visit www.velodynelidar.com.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including, without limitation, all statements other than historical fact and include, without limitation, statements regarding Velodyne’s target markets, new products, development efforts, competition. When used in this press release, the words “plans,” “estimates,” “projected,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “believes,” “seeks,” “can,” “may,” “can,” “should,” “future,” “propose” and variations of these words or similar expressions (or the negative versions of such words or expressions) are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, conditions or results and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other important factors, many of which are outside Velodyne’s control, that could cause actual results or outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Important factors, among others, that may affect actual results or outcomes include Velodyne’s ability to manage growth; Velodyne’s ability to execute its business plan; uncertainties related to the ability of Velodyne’s customers to commercialize their products and the ultimate market acceptance of these products; the uncertain impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Velodyne’s and its customers’ businesses; uncertainties related to Velodyne’s estimates of the size of the markets for its products; the rate and degree of market acceptance of Velodyne’s products; the success of other competing lidar and sensor-related products and services that exist or may become available; uncertainties related to Velodyne’s current litigation and potential litigation involving Velodyne or the validity or enforceability of Velodyne’s intellectual property; and general economic and market conditions impacting demand for Velodyne’s products and services. Velodyne undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

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Qualcomm Smart Cities Accelerator Program is a program of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.