Sensible solutions: ADAS sensor technology evolution

Various government initiatives have been implemented to reduce the killed or seriously injured (KSI) rate. Sensors have been used in programmes such as the IVI (Intelligent Vehicle Initiative in the USA, the AHS (Advanced Highway System) and the ASV (Advanced Safety Vehicle) in Japan and the European e-SAFETY initiative. Future applications include collision avoidance, lane keeping, obstacle classification, rear detection and driver drowsiness. Siemens are developing a device that makes use of light to measure the distance between a vehicle and another object using a CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) image sensor chip. Research is being conducted at e2v Technologies to develop a radio sensor with short and long-range functions. Safety-related applications for sensors are being drive the political target of a 50% reduction in the KSI rates by 2010. A project called Lateral Safe is looking at the extent to which signal processing can be improved.