Road safety is of paramount importance to me and therefore I am always on the lookout for tools that can help make our journeys safer.
Posted at 11:45 a.m.
This is why I am interested these days in the Israeli manufacturer Vayyar, which is working to improve an already existing sensor technology, but which it aims to improve a hundredfold.
This company is working on four-dimensional imaging radar sensors that can be used both in cars and outside vehicles, sensors that can detect movements and potential dangers wherever they are.
These four-dimensional sensors offer an impressive level of resolution. Not only can they detect multiple targets at once and track them closely, but they can also do so regardless of road conditions, since the radar can cut through fog, dust, rain and snow.
She pays attention to everything, this chip…
Everything indicates that this technology would be a powerful solution for a variety of applications, since we are talking about an on-chip radar that offers an ultra-wide field of view and houses up to 48 transceivers for resolution and quality of picture still unmatched.
Whether we’re talking about detecting the presence of a child on the road, launching seat belt reminders or estimating the height of a bridge (always useful when you’re on board a recreational vehicle) , we can easily imagine that it is a technology that could save lives and that is likely to make our roads safer.
High precision
It is also a very precise technology, the data of which can indicate the presence, size, position, health and movement of the occupants of a vehicle in real time.
This radar differentiates between people and objects and between child and adult occupants. That is to say. So much information that improves the comfort, safety and well-being of occupants.
Another surprising aspect, the 4D imaging radar platform is the only solution to date that can cover up to three rows and eight occupants in a vehicle, with a single chip. It can replace up to 10 traditional radar sensors and offers considerable savings compared to traditional radar solutions, since it covers 0 to 300 meters on a single chip.
Last but not least, the information collected can also contribute to saving energy since it reduces the use of lighting and heating, ventilation and air conditioning when the occupants are not present. In other words, high-resolution data enables occupants to make informed decisions about their environment in a safer and more sustainable way.
Around the car
We talk today about this radar for its usefulness in the automotive sector, but it is interesting to know that Vayyar comes from afar, and with a significant amount of experience. The company has more than one innovation to its credit, and this, in sectors very different from the one that concerns us today.
This tech company offers solutions for senior care, retail, and public safety, among others. We are talking about a company that had been founded at the source to detect breast cancer at an early stage. Rather noble, as a mission.
To date, its system on chip, its software suite and its learning algorithms are all exclusives that allow the Israeli company to expand its offer.
Currently, the company is even working on a system that could see through walls and could greatly help emergency services detect the whereabouts of victims during a disaster.
A long road traveled
It’s fascinating to see how far radar in general has come in recent years.
You should know that previously, this technology was mainly used in very specific industries, such as the army. The market for radar sensors was then developing very slowly, a situation that has changed dramatically over the past few years.
From now on, radars capable of forming images are of interest to the general public, and automotive applications are fueling the imagination of engineers and manufacturers all the more. As a result, the number of new radar devices and their applications is currently growing exponentially, and this trend is expected to continue in the future, considering the current advancements.
For my part, I have no difficulty in believing that this 4D system for the automobile will be effective and well thought out. At the very least, it should be advantageous to feel completely safe behind the wheel of our vehicle. This is a technology that deserves to be followed closely.