Camera, Radar, LiDAR and Several Major Sensor Systems for Autonomous Driving Are Revealed

If you want to realize the fully automatic driving function of SAE L4/L5 on the model of the year 2021/2022, it is necessary to apply a variety of sensor redundancy systems. Today’s semi-autonomous driving systems use various numbers and designs of radar and camera systems. The development of a laser detection and ranging system with high performance and reasonable price that can detect information within a 300-meter radius is still in the pre-research stage. Most automakers believe that the three sensor systems of camera, radar and LiDAR are indispensable if they want to realize fully automatic driving.

At present, ultrasonic radar, millimeter-wave radar, and multi-camera systems have been applied in high-end cars. With the development of intelligent driving, environmental perception technology will develop rapidly and further play a synergistic effect. Although sensors are only a part of autonomous vehicles, the market prospects are very broad. Therefore, relevant agencies predict that the global market for automotive cameras, millimeter-wave radars, and night vision systems will enter a period of rapid growth by 2020.

The insight of smart driving with camera

The vehicle-mounted camera is the basis for many early warning and recognition ADAS functions. Among the many ADAS functions, the visual image processing system is more basic and more intuitive for the driver, and the camera is the basis of the visual image processing system, so the on-board camera is essential for intelligent driving.

ADAS functions that the camera can realize

The price of on-board cameras continues to fall, and multiple cameras on bicycles will become a trend in the future. Compared with sensors such as vehicle-mounted radars, the price is lower, and it is easy to popularize and apply.

According to the requirements of different ADAS functions, the installation position of the camera is not the same. According to the different installation positions of the camera, it can be divided into four parts: front view, side view, rear view, and built-in. To achieve a full set of ADAS functions in the future, a bicycle needs to be equipped with at least 5 cameras.

An essential sensor for radar ranging and speed measurement

Radar irradiates the target object by emitting sound waves or electromagnetic waves and receives its echo, thereby obtaining the target object’s distance, distance change rate (radial speed), size, orientation, and other information. Radar was first used in the military, and then gradually civilian use. With the development trend of automobile intelligence, radar began to appear in automobiles, mainly used for ranging, speed measurement, and other functions. Automotive radars can be divided into ultrasonic radars, millimeter-wave radars, LiDARs, etc. Different radars have different principles, and their performance characteristics have their advantages, which can be used to achieve different functions.