Radar Has More to Give

摘要

Radar began a long transition from fighter planes to cars in the 1990s and eventually found a secure role in blind-spot detection beginning in the early 2000s. Today, radar is applied not only to blind-spot detection and cross-traffic alert, but also to the front of the vehicle to inform automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control systems of obstacles in the vehicle’s path. Autoliv spinoff Veoneer expects radar penetration to grow quickly: from 6% of the world’s new vehicles in 2017 to 20% by 2022, with five radar units in each vehicle, one on each corner plus one in the front. Radar technology has come a long way, but the technology is still far from being settled. Innovation is taking two paths. Low-definition radar for blind-spot detection is being cost reduced to make this vital safety feature affordable to more consumers. Radar sensors’ commoditization will also broaden its uses. For example, Google is developing hand gesture recognition based on radar for portable devices, technology which could be applied to the vehicle’s cockpit, driver monitors and occupant detection systems. Foot activated door openers based on radar are also being considered. With comparatively better resolution, radar could potentially substitute for ultrasonic sensors in some applications if the cost becomes low enough. Today, ultrasonics provide a very affordable and reliable solution for low-speed applications such as parking assist.