Radar will remain a key technology in the...

Radar will remain a key technology in the automotive space, but camera sensors and machine vision technology are poised to push advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) into the mainstream due to low cost, flexibility and multiple use cases, said ABI Research. Automotive camera sensor shipments are forecast to reach 197 million by 2020 from suppliers including OmniVision, ON Semiconductor, Sony, STMicroelectronics and Toshiba, it said. ABI described a “fusion of sensors” combining with radar for forward-looking obstacle detection, pedestrian detection, lane guidance and driver monitoring; with infrared cameras for night vision; and with ultrasonic sensors for automated parking. Advances in RF transceivers, microcontrollers and open platforms will lead to cost reduction by leveraging microcontrollers across multiple sensors, it said. The primary driver for the uptake of ADAS will be the arrival of autonomous driving, ABI said. ADAS is already becoming the subject of regulation, with the European New Car Assessment Programme including the presence of speed assistance systems, autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning/lane keep assist as criteria to determine safety ratings, it said. In the U.S., similar initiatives are being discussed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which recently proposed changes to its five-star safety program, ABI said.