ADAS technologies have the potential to improve the driving experience by making it safer and more comfortable. Sensors, processors, actuators, mapping systems and various software systems come together to make this possible. As all of these components improve and work more effectively with each other, ADAS has the potential to revolutionize the way the world drives.
ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) technologies are one of the fastest growing segments in automotive electronics. One of the reasons for the rising demand for ADAS is an interest in road and traffic safety, both at the level of the government and the individual. What was once a virtual futuristic idea – cars that more or less drive themselves – has now become a reality, thanks to the convergence of ADAS and Telematics.
There are multiple benefits of implementing ADAS. Not only does it help to improve the safety of the driver and the passengers, but also helps to enhance the overall user experience.
Primarily, cars with ADAS systems can detect certain objects, do basic classification, alert the driver of hazardous road conditions and, in some cases, automatically decelerate or stop the vehicle. By connecting the ADAS to a telematics system, it is possible to capture the vehicle events within a fleet system and implement a driver-monitoring program.
The data captured in this way can be used to create key performance indicators to track the day-to-day performance for a specific driver, or compare driver-to-driver performance for a specific timeframe.
What makes ADAS so effective? Let’s take a look under the hood to understand the components that power these technologies.
1) Sensors: Currently, drivers are the primary decision makers behind the wheel; however, with ADAS, some of the decisions can be dcisions may be taken by the systems. Sensors are used to ensure that adequate safety measures are taken, based on a specific situation. However, no one sensor cannot guarantee safety on its own. Hence, multiple orthogonal and complimentary sensors are used as a part of ADAS, which together provide information and redundancy to enhance safety and improve the driver’s performance. The standard sensor suite comprises ultrasound, LIDAR, RADAR technologies and visible cameras.
2) Software: Software is considered the backbone of hardware functions. Today, with changing customer expectations, almost every automotive company relies as much on software as it does on the actual vehicle. ADAS systems are becoming more effective and are seeing an increased adoption with the use of digitization technologies such as cloud, mobility, deep learning and artificial intelligence.
3) Actuators: The electrification of the actuation system in vehicles has been a major facilitator of ADAS. This allows various ADAS systems to function smoothly with other electrical components in the vehicle. The processors are able to analyze the data from the vehicle sensors and the ADAS system can make resulting decision achievable by actuators. The actuator system supports everything, right from electric power steering to autonomous acceleration and breaking.
4) Processors: In ADAS applications, processors are used for everything from building a real time 3D spatial model of a car’s surroundings to calculating proximity and threat levels based on the environment. However, due to the length of qualification processes in the automotive industry, the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies is almost six years slower than the rate at which average smartphone processors are adopted.
5) Mapping systems: The geographical and infrastructure information is gathered, stored and updated via sensors to govern a vehicle’s exact location. This information is maintained and communicated to the control system even if the GPS coverage fails. Since automotive OEMs and other competitors search for low cost options, third party applications are generally used to meet this demand.
ADAS technologies include a vast number of features that together deliver a safer and more comfortable driving experience. Let’s take a close look:
ADAS systems have the potential to improve road safety across the globe. Today, ADAS is nearly mainstream. Not only the high-end models, but even compact economy cars offer a wide array of features focusing on driver safety, ranging from adaptive or glare-free high beams and driver-drowsiness detection to wrong-way driving detection.
Driver distraction and drowsiness are two of the major contributors for road fatalities. With all the upgraded features and entertainment content that are available in a vehicle, the driver must still focus on driving. Sensor technology can help to keep a check on whether the driver is distracted or drowsy.
The system can also recognize the face of the driver driving a particular vehicle and estimate their age and gender.
eInfochips as an Automotive Engineering Services and Solutions with expertise across multi-media processing and video analytics, adds tremendous value for our customers in the development of ADAS and related in-vehicle subsystems.
To know more about eInfochips’ capabilities in automotive and ADAS solutions, please get in touch with us.
