Austin Russell (links), Gründer und CEO von Luminar, zusammen mit Markus Schäfer (rechts), Mitglied des Vorstands der Daimler AG und der Mercedes-Benz AG, Chief Technology Officer verantwortlich für Entwicklung und Einkauf. // Austin Russell (left), CEO and Founder of Luminar, together with Markus Schäfer (right), Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, Chief Technology Officer responsible for Development and Procurement.
<p>Palo Alto-based Luminar has announced a partnership with German automaker Mercedes-Benz to accelerate the development of future highly automated driving technologies for Mercedes passenger cars.</p>
<p>[<strong>Photo above</strong>: <em>Austin Russell, Luminar Founder and CEO with Markus Schäfer, Chief Technology Officer responsible for Development and Procurement at Mercedes-Benz&#8217; Sindelfingen, Germany plant.</em> Source: Business Wire]</p>
<p>Luminar’s Iris lidar technology, which is currently being prepared for series production, is expected to improve vehicle safety and the technical capabilities of highly automated driving systems. The partnership represents a major commercial win for Luminar, and the company is leveraging its foundational technology as it continues to execute towards series production.</p>
<p>“This partnership is a landmark moment in the industry, demonstrating how substantially increased safety and autonomous driving functions on consumer vehicles are going from sci-fi to mainstream,” said Austin Russell, Founder and CEO. “Mercedes-Benz has always been a technological leader and first mover for the industry, with the brand synonymous with automotive innovation, safety, luxury, and quality.”</p>
<p>“Luminar is the perfect addition to our existing roster of first-class cooperations with leading and cutting–edge tech companies. Mercedes-Benz’s achievement of SAE Level 3 already marked a huge milestone for automated driving and I am absolutely convinced that partnerships will increase our level of ambition for what is possible in the future. Cooperation is an essential part of Mercedes-Benz’s strategy. Therefore, I am highly delighted to have Austin Russell and Luminar on board for our journey,” says Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG, Chief Technology Officer responsible for Development and Procurement.</p>

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