DENSO Develops Compact Vision Sensor for Road Safety Applications

A novel vision sensor has been developed by DENSO which is nearly half the size of its predecessors. The novel sensor that finds applications in active safety systems having Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Systems and Automatic High Beam (AHB) Control Systems is very compact. Furthermore, the sensor can function at a high operating temperature when compared to its predecessors, which is believed to be one of the highest operating temperatures of a vision sensor.

These sensors are mounted on the windshield’s upper edge close to the rear view mirror. This location inspired DENSO engineers to focus on size reduction. Additionally, the sensor’s maximum operating temperature was increased to help the sensor function in hotter regions and climates.

To address these challenges, a high-performance algorithm and low-processing load was developed that only needed a general purpose, high-temperature resistant microcomputer against image-processing ICs that are needed for vision sensors for both AHB system and LDW system. The elimination of these sensors enables reduction in the sensor size allowing an increase in maximum operating temperature.

The new sensor comprises a full-color camera when compared to a monochrome camera previously, enabling the LDW system to identify lane markings of different colors worldwide. The AHB system can differentiate the tail lights of the vehicle from other light sources.

DENSO will make the sensor available for a larger number of vehicle models. This new sensor is offered as a factory option for the Lexus ES, which was launched in July in China and then in North America, Russia, the Middle East and other regions of the world.

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