Peering into the Distance

New sensors of all types look out longer distances - and provide higher resolutions - for engineers pushing ADAS capabilities and higher-level vehicle automation.

Sensors are the frontline technology for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) and future vehicles with high-level (SAE Levels 4-5) automation. Designers at all levels are working to find the optimal and number of sensors and their ideal performance levels, capturing data that's farther away while increasing field of view and resolution.

Tier 1s and OEMs have long leveraged different sensors - radar, cameras and lidar - to provide redundancy and gain insight into what's around the vehicle. The first high-level automated vehicles for public use will be heavily laden with sensors as engineers and developers strive to prove that driverless vehicles can navigate safely. Automated taxis and shuttles are being loaded with input devices.