Voyant Photonics has introduced its Helium Platform, representing the industry’s first fully solid-state 4D frequency-modulated continuous-wave (FMCW) LiDAR sensors and modules. Built on a proprietary silicon photonics chip, the architecture is designed to provide high performance and reliability for robotics, industrial automation, and mobile autonomy applications.
By utilizing a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) platform, the Helium system employs a dense two-dimensional photonic focal plane array with integrated 2D on-chip beam steering. This design eliminates the need for traditional moving parts or unreliable scanning methods such as MEMS and mirrors. The chip operates an array of surface emitters to create a ruggedized, ultra-compact LiDAR solution.
The platform is designed to be highly versatile, supporting multi-sensor configurations that can combine wide field-of-view short-range sensing with narrow field-of-view long-range sensing within a single system. The high-resolution planar architecture is scalable, spanning from 12,000 pixels to more than 100,000 pixels, and provides per-pixel radial velocity data alongside traditional depth perception.
A key feature of the Helium platform is its Software-defined LiDAR (SDL) capability. This allows for adaptive scan patterns and the ability to focus on specific regions of interest. The hardware itself is characterized by its small form factor, weighing less than 150 grams with a volume of less than 50 cubic centimeters, making it suitable for integration into drones and compact mobile robots.
Field of view and range for the Helium sensors can be tailored through custom-designed lenses, with options ranging from ultra-wide 180-degree coverage to narrow, long-range optics. Voyant offers module-only access and design-in support, enabling original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to integrate the sensing technology directly into customized machines and platforms.
“Helium™ brings full two-dimensional beam steering to a validated silicon photonics platform for the first time,” the company noted regarding the architecture’s progression from its existing Carbon product line.
Voyant Photonics is opening an Early Access Program for collaborators to explore custom chip resolutions, multi-sensor fusion architectures, and software-defined features. The company aims to make advanced machine perception as affordable and ubiquitous as standard camera sensors, supporting the broader development of edge-compute platforms and smart infrastructure.
