[Featured Stock] LMS Issues Challenge for Apple-Led Autonomous Driving... Anticipation for Development of Korea-Type Autonomous Driving Core Sensors

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] LMS is showing strong performance. The news that Apple is holding related discussions with global automobile companies to launch autonomous electric vehicles appears to be influencing the stock price. Following Tesla, Apple's entry into the autonomous driving market is expected to expand the related market.

As of 10:53 AM on the 8th, LMS was trading at 16,200 KRW, up 12.89% (1,850 KRW) compared to the previous trading day.

A Hyundai Motor official stated on the day, "Apple is in talks with Hyundai Motor regarding cooperation on electric vehicle production," adding, "It is still in the early stages of discussion, and nothing has been concretely decided." It is also known that Apple is holding related discussions with other global automobile companies besides Hyundai Motor.

Earlier, major foreign media reported rumors of Apple's entry into the autonomous electric vehicle market starting from mid-December last year. Since then, Apple has neither confirmed nor denied the launch of autonomous electric vehicles, but interest in the autonomous vehicle market has grown as it has been quietly negotiating with finished car manufacturers.

LMS is collaborating with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute and electronics component specialist company SOS Lab to develop LiDAR sensors, a core component of autonomous vehicles. LiDAR is a sensor that enables a vehicle to recognize surrounding objects. Cameras and radars installed in Level 2 autonomous vehicles recognize and estimate the presence, distance, and direction of objects, but LiDAR emits high-power lasers and receives reflected signals to extract even the shape of objects.

The Korea Automotive Technology Institute is responsible for technology development to verify the vehicle application and applicability of the developed sensors, and IMEC manufactures the beam steering optical system. LMS designs and manufactures LiDAR unit component packaging, while SOS Lab produces fixed LiDAR system unit components.