Radar sensor module to bring added safety to autonomous driving

The real innovation in the new system is its

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integrated signal processing capacity. This allows for all processing to take place directly within the module, with the system selectively filtering data from the radar system and stereo camera so that processing can either take place immediately or else be intentionally delayed until a subsequent processing stage. Non-relevant information is recognized, but not forwarded. Sensor fusion is applied to combine the data from the camera and radar. Neural networks then evaluate the data and determine the real-world traffic implications based on machine learning techniques.

As a result, the system has no need to send status information to the vehicle, but solely reaction instructions. This frees up the vehicle's bus line to deal with important signals, for instance detecting a child suddenly running out onto the road. "Integrated signal processing drastically cuts down reaction times," says Christian Tschoban, group head in the RF & Smart Sensor Systems department. Together with his colleagues, Tschoban is currently working on the KameRad project (see info box).

The functioning demonstrator he and his team have developed looks like a grey box with eyes to the right and left—the stereo cameras. The project runs until 2020. Until then, project partners AVL List GmbH and DCAITI will be busy testing the initial prototype, including road testing in Berlin. Tschoban hopes that in a few years' time his "grey box" will be fitted as standard in every vehicle, bringing added safety to automated inner-city traffic.

https://phys.org/news/2019-06-radar-sensor-module-added-safety.html