Performance across environment
Budget thermal shift, vibration, contamination, sunload, ambient light, aging, and material behavior.
Automotive LiDAR and HUD opticsPalo Alto, California
AUTOMOTIVE / LIDAR / HEAD-UP DISPLAY
Custom lens design for LiDAR and HUD optics under automotive constraints.
PAO provides custom lens design for LiDAR transmit and receive optics, HUD freeform and projection architectures, coatings, stray-light controls, and optomechanics engineered around package, thermal, environmental, safety, and production requirements.
SYSTEM WORKFLOWPAO / 01
01Use case
02Optical path
03Vehicle package
04Validation
05Production
Engineering support for new architectures, subsystem recovery, prototypes, and design transfer.
01Engineering reality
Vehicle optics must hold performance across environment and production variation.
Temperature, vibration, solar load, contamination, windshield geometry, eye box, detector noise, source safety, coatings, alignment, and supplier capability all shape the architecture.
Severe packaging constraints
Resolve apertures, obscurations, fold geometry, mounting, adjustment, sealing, and service interfaces.
Production-sensitive alignment
Design datums, tolerances, calibration, test, and supplier controls around scalable assembly.
02Project fit
PAO is a fit when automotive LiDAR or HUD optics need both physics rigor and production survivability.
Best for teams ready to convert performance goals into measurable budgets before a costly architecture or supplier decision.
Environment and safety constraints dominate design
Sunload, vibration, window effects, thermal swing, and cleanliness constraints must be solved with optical trade-offs first.
HUD or LiDAR performance is unstable
Field distortion, boresight drift, range repeatability, or alignment variance is preventing release.
Procurement needs an actionable technical package
Supplier qualification is delayed because requirements, tolerances, test method, and acceptance criteria are incomplete.
ENGINEERING DECISION TABLE
Inputs that change the architecture, acceptance method, and program risk.
| Input condition | Key metric | Design choice | Risk if unresolved |
|---|---|---|---|
| Range, resolution, and safety constraints | Detection margin, luminance, eye-safe output, interference tolerance | LiDAR band and pulse strategy, optics form, receiver architecture, safety margin | Mismatch can reduce detection reliability or violate automotive safety requirements. |
| Packaging and vehicle integration | Mount stiffness, thermal shift, vibration response, contamination ingress | Mount topology, adjustment scheme, sealing strategy, service plan | Field reliability fails despite good bench data. |
| HUD visual acceptance | Eye box, distortion, luminance, legibility under sunload | Freeform/reflective architecture, coatings, windshield correction, projection design | Driver readability and alignment fail during production variation. |
| Calibration and lifecycle | Boresight repeatability, recalibration interval, diagnostic visibility | Calibration strategy, distortion correction model, maintenance triggers | Performance degrades between maintenance windows or after software updates. |
SELECTED ENGINEERING EVIDENCE
Published scope, verification method, and disclosure boundary.
These records describe documented engineering experience or the evidence plan PAO uses for new work. They do not imply that prior-employer programs were PAO customer engagements.
Automotive subsystem architecture experience
- Scope
- Representative architecture and validation framing for LiDAR/HUD environments where environment and integration drive architecture choices.
- Verification
- Release criteria include environmental assumptions, optical budgets, and validation plan tied to measurable acceptance.
- Boundary
- Customer program details and exact commercial commitments are omitted.
Delivery package readiness
- Scope
- Optics-to-supplier handoff structure with drawings, tolerances, calibration, and validation path.
- Verification
- Project scope is closed with change control, correction loops, and acceptance test definitions.
- Boundary
- Timeline and cost commitment depend on requirements quality and supplier response.
03Engineering scope
System engineering across transmit, receive, display, and package.
PAO can own a defined optical subsystem or support the customer's cross-functional team at critical architecture and validation gates.
Define a technical work packageLiDAR transmit path
Source integration, beam shaping, scanning interfaces, divergence, eye-safety inputs, window, and stray emission.
LiDAR receive path
Aperture, field, spectral filtering, detector coupling, ghost control, ambient rejection, and tolerance.
HUD optical architecture
Projection, fold, mirror and freeform geometry, eye box, virtual image, distortion, luminance, and windshield interaction.
Coatings and materials
Spectral transmission and reflection, solar and IR management, durability inputs, substrate choice, and manufacturability.
Optomechanics and environment
Datums, mounts, thermal compensation, vibration, sealing, cleanliness, interfaces, and service strategy.
Prototype and validation support
Models, hardware definition, supplier transfer, test fixtures, calibration, failure analysis, and design iteration.
04Technical envelope
Two demanding product classes, one system discipline.
Representative capability is shown with the context needed to qualify it. Program requirements control the final architecture and acceptance values.
Automotive LiDAR
Transmit, scan-interface, receive, filtering, window, alignment, and calibration optics.
Head-up displays
Freeform mirrors, projection optics, combiners, windshield interaction, eye-box, distortion, and sunlight management.
In-cabin sensing
Near-IR imaging and illumination for driver monitoring, occupancy, gesture, and interior perception.
Exterior perception
Camera optics, windows, spectral filters, cleaning interfaces, stray light, and environmental packaging.
REFERENCE ENVELOPE
LiDAR bands808 / 905 / 940 / 1550 nmOptics and coatings configured to the selected source and detector
HUD/freeform classUp to about 400 mm referenceAvailable glass freeform production pathway
Spectral engineeringVisible plus IR controlTransmission, reflection, solar load, and detector rejection
Validation inputsThermal / vibration / sunloadProgram-specific environmental and reliability requirements
Reference ranges indicate available design and supply pathways. Vehicle-level specifications, compliance, validation, qualification, and production approval remain program specific and must be defined with the responsible customer teams.
05What you receive
Engineering outputs your team can review, build, test, and maintain.
The exact package follows the program stage and scope. Assumptions, interfaces, decisions, and acceptance evidence remain visible.
Architecture and budgets
Optical path, interfaces, performance allocation, environmental assumptions, trades, and risks.
Detailed optical design
Prescriptions, freeforms, coatings, imaging or radiometric analyses, stray light, and tolerances.
Optomechanical package
Datums, mounts, adjustments, thermal behavior, vibration inputs, enclosure, and vehicle interfaces.
Calibration strategy
Alignment features, distortion or boresight correction, end-of-line concepts, and service implications.
Prototype definition
Supplier specifications, drawings, BOM, assembly sequence, test fixtures, and build support.
Validation support
Optical test methods, environmental test correlation, failure analysis, and design updates.
06Controlled delivery
A local engineering interface from first review through release.
PAO leads the technical work, coordinates specialized fabrication and production resources under the project quality process, and keeps responsibility for requirements, interfaces, evidence, and issue closure clear.
- 01
Technical intake
Define the system boundary, decision to be made, current evidence, constraints, and confidentiality path.
- 02
Requirements and risk
Create measurable requirements, interface assumptions, performance budgets, and a ranked technical risk register.
- 03
Architecture and proof
Compare viable concepts and retire the highest-risk assumptions with analysis, breadboards, or targeted tests.
- 04
Detailed engineering
Develop controlled optical, mechanical, calibration, test, and supplier-ready documentation.
- 05
Build and verification
Support procurement, assembly, alignment, test correlation, root cause, and evidence-based iteration.
- 06
Release and transfer
Close acceptance criteria, configuration, supplier questions, manufacturing issues, and production handoff.
07Qualification questions
Questions engineering teams ask before engaging.
01Can PAO support either LiDAR or HUD as a standalone subsystem?
Yes. Scopes are defined around the customer's interface boundary and can cover one optical path, an integrated optical module, or targeted analysis and recovery work.
02Do you support automotive qualification?
PAO can design against customer-provided qualification requirements, develop optical verification methods, support test correlation, and resolve failures. Formal product qualification and certification ownership are defined in the program scope.
03Can you develop custom coatings for LiDAR or HUD optics?
PAO can define spectral, angular, environmental, substrate, and cosmetic requirements; model their system impact; and manage coating development and acceptance through qualified production resources.
09Start a conversation
Bring the use case, vehicle package, and critical performance budget.
Before submitting, include: application, stage, environment, measurable acceptance, and procurement constraints.