Hesai Unveils World's First Color-Detecting Lidar, Marking Shift in Auto Innovation Strategy
SHANGHAI, April 17 (Reuters) — In a significant leap for sensor technology, China's Hesai Group has unveiled what it claims is the world's first lidar system for autonomous driving capable of detecting color. The advancement, announced Friday, is poised to improve environmental perception for self-driving cars, potentially making them safer by allowing them to distinguish critical details like traffic light signals.
The new EXT lidar, powered by Hesai's proprietary Picasso chip, integrates spatial and chromatic data into a single device—a first for the industry. Co-founder Sun Kai presented the technology in Shanghai, stating it is slated for mass production later this year and will debut in flagship vehicle models by 2027.
Hesai CEO David Li framed the breakthrough as emblematic of a broader shift. "The Chinese automotive sector is moving decisively from a race to the bottom on price towards a competition based on genuine value creation," Li told reporters. "An obsession with cost-cutting stifles the innovation that delivers superior, safer solutions for the long term."
Global Supplier Ambitions
Hesai solidifies its position as a key player, supplying lidar systems to major Chinese EV makers like Li Auto, Xiaomi, and BYD, and commanding over 40% of the domestic market in 2025, according to Gasgoo Automotive Research Institute. Its reach extends globally as a primary lidar supplier for Nvidia's advanced driver-assistance systems, slated for use by automakers including Mercedes-Benz.
Despite this, lidar adoption faces headwinds. Data from the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers indicates only 3% of vehicles worldwide used the technology as of 2025. Skeptics like Tesla favor camera-only vision systems, while XPeng announced last year it would drop lidar from new models in favor of AI-driven alternatives.
Sun Kai argues the color-detection capability—allowing the sensor to differentiate a red light from a green one—illustrates lidar's untapped potential for growth and necessary redundancy in complex driving scenarios.
Beyond the Road: Targeting Physical AI
Hesai is also eyeing markets beyond automotive. The company introduced Kosmo, a wine bottle-shaped handheld device designed to capture detailed 3D color data of physical environments. This "digital twin" creation tool is aimed at accelerating the development of physical AI systems, such as humanoid robots, by giving them a richer understanding of real-world spaces, explained CTO Xiang Shaoqing. A commercial launch timeline for Kosmo was not disclosed.
The announcements strategically precede next week's Beijing Auto Show, the world's largest, where over 100 brands are expected to showcase technological advancements.
Industry Voices:
"This is a pragmatic step forward. Color data adds a contextual layer that pure geometric point clouds lack, which is crucial for nuanced decision-making at intersections," said Michael Chen, an autonomous systems analyst at TechInsight.
"Finally, a move beyond the spec sheet wars. If this helps AVs reliably handle edge cases, it's worth the premium," noted Priya Sharma, a venture partner at NextGen Mobility Fund.
"Color detection? It's a band-aid on a fundamental problem. The industry is still layering expensive hardware to compensate for immature AI software. This feels more like a marketing gimmick ahead of the auto show than a game-changer," argued Alex Roderick, a robotics engineer and frequent industry critic.
"Hesai's dual focus on automotive and broader physical AI is smart. The data Kosmo gathers could be the training fuel for the next generation of robots," commented Dr. Elena Flores, a professor of robotics at Stanford University.