SAN FRANCISCO, May 19 (Reuters) - Aeva Technologies ( AEVA )

said on Monday it is supplying sensors to a subsidiary

of European aircraft manufacturer Airbus that is

working to develop planes that can taxi to airport gates

autonomously.

Aeva ( AEVA ), founded by former Apple and Nikon engineers, makes a

lidar sensor that can map a three-dimensional view of the area

around the vehicle and detect how fast distant objects are

moving.

It said it is supplying those sensors to Airbus UpNext,

which will use the sensors on a testing truck and an A350-1000

flight test aircraft at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in France.

Aeva ( AEVA ) did not disclose financial details of the deal. Aeva ( AEVA )

CEO Soroush Salehian said the deal will involve several fitting

sensors on the initial test plane.

"We're all working toward automation and this is a new

extension for us into aerospace. It's focused on the here and

now - improving airport efficiency and reducing the workload on

pilots," he told Reuters on Monday.