US-based Sense Photonics, a manufacturer of LiDAR and 3-D sensor solutions for autonomous vehicles and industrial automation, is set to significantly enhance its presence in Scotland after securing a £1.9 million grant from Scottish Enterprise.

The company will open an Advanced LiDAR R&D Centre in Edinburgh, creating 38 jobs in the process (www.sensephotonics.com).

It currently has a small R&D base in Edinburgh and works with the University of Edinburgh’s Institute of Integrated Micro and Nano Systems.

Scottish government Innovation Minister Ivan McKee said: “Sense Photonics’ decision to locate its new base in Edinburgh will add to Scotland’s existing billion-pound photonics sector, which supports 4,000 jobs.

"The Scottish government and its agencies will continue to support the sector by building on our skills and academic excellence to develop a workforce that is ready for the future and ensure that Scotland maximises the opportunities of the rapidly growing market.”

Rather than using complex scanning solutions to create an image pixel by pixel, Sense’s solid-state LiDAR system captures the entire frame at once, like a camera.

The company calls this Flash LiDAR and says that it offers high-performance 3-D sensing that is simple, modular, scalable and reliable.

The new R&D Centre will include laboratory and office space and will take advantage of the deep pool of talent in the region.