Hi FJ,
As we don't have the full details or patent specification, the following is just speculation.
We haven't seen anything to suggest AKD1500 can handle 8 bits. On the other hand, do we have the resources to run two developments in parallel? The release date of Q3 2023 does tie in with AKD1500.
The 8 bits will increase accuracy at the expense of time and power, so the applications will be in fields where accuracy is paramount.
The time penalty will not be such as to take it outside the concept of "real time", but will probably reduce the FPS equivalent rating. I'm not sure how this would affect our compatibility with Prophesee, but I assume we will still have the 1, 2, and 4 bit options.
I suppose the 8 bits will also apply to the model libraries.
This emphasizes the importance of N-of-M coding to provide performance advantages over the competition.
Edit: As
@Boab points out, "scene segmentation" is new. This may dovetail with Luminar's "foveated LiDaR".