Other ADAS/AV advancements include:
- MobilEye: The well-known ADAS chip leader introduced its "Supervision" package. A combo package of of 11 cameras, RADAR and LiDAR embedded in approximately 70,000 vehicles overseas so far. Its goal is to outfit existing OE vehicles and turn them into "robo-taxis."
- Owl Autonomous Imaging introduced its Thermal Ranger ADAS and Autonomous Navigation Development Platform. Its main focus is on ADAS functions such as pedestrian automatic emergency braking (PAEB) for Level 2 through 4 requirements. The image is 3D for identification and thermal fusion for distance measurement.
- Seeing Machines Limited: The company focuses on machine vision for driver and occupant identification and monitoring. The coding measures and examines head position and eye movement (including polarized sunglasses) to evaluate driver attention to the task at hand.
- Texas Instruments: The company was there in force offering demonstrations in V2x/modules' communication (sensor fusion) — including BEV/PHEV fueled vehicles — for quicker response time benefiting vehicle reaction to a roadway situation. The company is highlighting RADAR as the lead sensor choice by using smaller, more efficient units and placing this type of sensor application as the leader in its ADAS component stack. It's all about the best way to go about AV development.
- NXP Semiconductors: The company announced its new "one-chip" technology that compacts RADAR sensing and processing into one device, allowing the unit to see smaller objects at greater distances. According to the company, this innovation will allow OEMs to combine short, medium and long-range RADAR into one unit — saving space and money.
- Microsoft: The well-known company has crossed many industries through the decades. At CES, it focused on consumer car buying experience and software enhancements for ADAS to AV applications.
- dSPACE: This company was featured at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway's university teams' race during CES. The challenge comprised of Level 5 race cars using the company's AUTERA AutoBox as the mainframe to track data via photos for simulation and algorithms on the road.
- Foresight Autonomous Holdings introduced its mono-to-stereo camera software for ADAS — incorporating a 360-degree perception system — which takes an existing mono-camera and enhances the software images of the area surrounding the vehicle. It offers greater accuracy to object identification up to 650 feet away.
ADAS technology is continuously evolving. And, as advanced technology technicians, it's important to keep up with future technology as it is based on today's products.
What can we do as technicians in the bay? It's all about training.
The more training the better. And not from "YouTube university," but by qualified sources from qualified companies embedded within the technology. Conferences and webinars — by well-known companies with a proven track record — are other competent sources.
Some of these courses will come with a price tag. (Don't you charge your customers to cover costs and make a profit?) Those training costs should be part of your KPI.
Not saying the highest-cost class is the best — that's not how it works. It's all about continuing education and your ability to take that knowledge and support your customer base with todays, and tomorrows, cars and trucks.
And don't forget to show customers your ADAS proficiency by becoming ADAS-certified by Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). You must have either A6 or B5 before qualifying to take the L4 exam.
