Targetting cost-conscious emerging markets, Continental Automotive India has introduced affordable ADAS solutions - radar sensor and Rear View Systems (RVS231).
Developed by Continental's Technical Center India (TCI), both the systems were built based on the proven platform meant for high-end passenger cars.
According to CAI, the development and introduction of affordable radar sensors and rear-view systems will pave the way for the penetration of the company's ADAS technologies into the entry- and mid-segment passenger cars, thus enhancing the safety quotient of the vehicle.
The radar sensors made by Continental, which introduced over 100 million radar sensors worldwide in a short span, can be fitted in front or rear of the car and depending on the usage and functionality, it provides safety and comfort. For example, flashing alerts when danger is suspected and similarly enhances the driving comfort through cruise control function, especially during long journeys.
This radar sensor is specifically designed to suit road conditions such as in India, through a detailed study of the traffic patterns, available infrastructural facilities, and considering the limitations that the Indian roads pose, the perception algorithms were developed to overcome unpredictable traffic conditions and inconsistent driver behaviour, the company said.
The algorithms use simple concepts such as prediction theory and low-speed traffic participant management. Since traffic is haphazard and uneven, these algorithms are designed to be highly adaptable to the traffic density, velocity conditions, and road types. For instance, these algorithms adapt themselves to traffic on the city roads with a high density of traffic participants and highways where density isn't much but the speed conditions that can be modified to bring about efficiency- in crucial parameters like fuel or energy consumption.
This nature of adaptability enables a sophisticated environment to be built for cars using affordable radar systems. The automotive algorithms have been optimised to have smaller memory and runtime resources, making them efficient enough to fit on the low-cost microprocessor. In addition, the radar is secured with best-in-class cybersecurity features, stable performance on highly dynamic traffic scenarios with tolerance for extreme temperature, weather conditions, and vibrations.
Jaidev Venkataraman, Head of Engineering - Sensorics, ADAS, Continental Automotive India, said the radar sensor is a perfect example of value engineering without compromising functionality. 'With this affordable radar sensor, we are re-emphasising the message that safety is for all and not simply an add-on premium feature. The radar is built with robust hardware and state-of-the-art software, making it the best in class thus far. Our engineering team in India is working on many such cutting-edge ADAS technologies for both developed, as well as emerging markets. These radars-based solutions also give a sense of innovation in autonomous driving to the Indian market, which has not been seen before in terms of the ease with which they can be incorporated in the present traffic conditions and available infrastructure,' he added.
Testing
The radar sensor has been tested on over 1.5 million kilometres of road data, including 8,000 kilometres of Indian roads, meeting safety standards such as the Global NCAP 2018 regulation and United Nations Economic Commission Sustainable Transport regulation for 2024. In addition, the radar technology incorporates intelligent Level-1 driver assistance functions such as adaptive cruise control, Emergency Brake Assist, Traffic Jam Assist, Blind Spot Detection, Lane Change Assist, and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, among others.
Cost-competitive Camera
The RVS231 comes with one microcontroller and built-in functions. The camera is pre-installed with software for emergency braking and pedestrian recognition. This is enabled by functions that include automatic self-calibration, detection and classification of objects, vehicles, pedestrians, and high-resolution visualisation views with overlays for the vehicle trajectory of the rear-view.
Safety Standards
The product complies with the European NCAP1, NCAP2, NHTSA, and IIHS safety standards, covering criteria ranging backward/reverse driving, precision braking against pedestrians with a capability to avoid 95% of reverse crashes (involving pedestrians). In addition, the product's complete software & algorithm, including detection, video chain, driving functions, Back-up Assist (autonomous braking while reversing), visualisation, etc., were developed, validated, and tested at TCI, the company said.