Bosch highlights radar technology for safety-relevant driver assistant systems
Radar sensors are at the core of many driver assistant systems, mainly for adaptive cruise control and blind spot detection. Bosch produces such sensors since 2000. While in the first years, their acceptance was low and it took 13 years to reach the first million units, Bosch now sees a steeply rising demand: It will take just about one year to reach the 2 million units mark, said Wolf-Henning Scheider, general manager for Bosch’s Chassis Systems Control and Electrical Devices unit. In 2016, the company plans to manufacture 10 million units.
Scheider sees two main reasons for the steep climb in demand: First, carmakers increasingly equip their vehicles with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Second, The Euro NCAP (New Car Assessment Programme) has acerbated the criteria for its top safety rating: Only cars with a radar-equipped ADAS will be eligible to get the five stars top rating.
Currently Bosch is about to ramp up production for a new 77GHz mid-range radar sensor which offers a comparable performance to its predecessor at significantly lower price and smaller size. It tracks objects at distances of up to 160 meters and will complement Bosch’s third-generation long range sensor which features a measurement range of up to 250 meters. In this device, Bosch for the first time utilizes a new SiGe RF module (provided by Infineon) which also enabled the company to reduce the sales price.
The new mid-range sensor will be an important building block for emergency brake functions and adaptive cruise controls which can operate at speeds of about 150 kmph.In 2014, Bosch also plans to roll out a variant of this sensor designed for rearward-looking applications. With this feature, lane departure warning systems can early identify vehicles approaching from behind at high speeds and issue a collision warning. This rearward-looking sensor will feature an extraordinarily wide aperture angle of 150 degrees.
All Bosch radar sensors operate in the 77GHz range. In comparison to the 24GHz range, 77GHz sensors offer much better performance, said Bernhard Lucas, head of Bosch’s radar sensor development department. The object resolution is up to three times higher, and speed as well as distance measurements are three to five times more precise. In addition, the 77GHz is reserved for automotive applications globally which makes this technology suitable for vehicle platforms sold worldwide, Lucas said.
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