Designing Cars with ADAS Sensors

ADAS is an approach toward reducing accidents and improving vehicle performance.

FREMONT, CA: A driver assistance system (ADAS) is designed to reduce the number of accidents and save lives. ADAS enable drivers to perform better and increase the safety of their vehicles on roads. The majority of vehicle accidents on the road are caused by human error. According to ADAS, the driver's error is detected by the human-machine interface (HMI), and nearby obstacles are detected by sensors to improve safety according to the need. As a result of ADAS, vehicle technology can be enhanced, automated, and adapted to improve safety by providing drivers with notifications, implementing safeguards, and taking limited control in some instances. Several ADAS functions are common to most vehicles, such as adaptive cruise control, satellite navigation, traffic warnings, parking assistance, lane centering, and lane departure alerts.

The key to ADAS is analyzing and comparing sensor data with vehicle operating parameters. Several types of sensors are used for automotive applications, including automotive imaging, LIDAR, radar, image processing, computer vision, multi-axis inertial motion, and in-car communication.

Sensors drive ADAS

Applying advanced driver assistance systems to vehicles requires continuous data about the surroundings. For ADAS to work properly, sensors must provide the necessary information. It is necessary to have the ADAS sensors so that everything visible will be detected. Each sensor technology has its capabilities, and many are already in use. Increasingly, sensor fusion brings together multiple sensors with complementary capabilities.

ADAS controllers

It is possible to move functions between vehicle system controllers easily when using ADAS controllers, and controllers can speed up ADAS application development. Multiple vehicle models can benefit from common ADAS controllers. Using a layered software structure enhances the system's flexibility and allows for greater adaptability. It supports ongoing optimization and adding new ADAS applications thanks to the separation of application logic and actuator control logic.

The future of ADAS

Most ADAS components today are integrated into vehicles, with the possible exception of GPS. As ADAS evolves from vehicles to infrastructure, V2V, V2I, and V2X communications will be integral to ADAS integration in the connected car. The communication with the external environment will also support a fusion of sensors to provide a broader definition of the term. Adding V2V communication to the sensor network will dramatically expand sensor coverage, allowing vehicles to exchange relative speeds, lanes, directions of travel, and even controlled actions, such as sudden braking, accelerations, or lane changes.

A major goal of ADAS is to reduce the number of accidents on the road, which will prevent deaths and injuries from occurring. It is considered a stepping stone as a first step toward fully autonomous vehicles.