Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - July 2022 - 20

Sensors
nearfield lidar currently in development will have 3D
high-resolution output, with grayscale intensity and
range being premier performance targets. Camera
systems must have high resolution, superior low-light
performance, 360-degree FoV, and " long range at
minimal systems cost, " McGuire offered. Software
solutions are key: " Processing high-res camera data is
exceptionally expensive. "
Omnivision's the new OAX4600 AI-enabled ASIC is engineered for simultaneous
driver- and occupant-monitoring systems.
" We're consolidating the sensor suite with modular
interfaces and a centralized architecture -sensors,
compute, telematics - using Cruise-customized SoC
[silicon on a chip], " he told the AutoSens audience.
" The aim is to do as little processing at the 'edge' as
possible; to push processing to a central processor.
And we are tailoring each sensor to what it's best
at " to reduce sensor redundancy - and consequent
systems cost. MLA (micro-lens array) semiconductor
technology, enabling huge data storage, " forms the
bulk of our software stack, and is our core processor, "
McGuire explained.
" Finding silicon for a specific company's AV stack
is difficult, " he noted, acknowledging that custom
silicon development can take up to six years. Nearfield
lidar, being developed in-house by Cruise, also
has required customized silicon.
McGuire expects the first-gen Origin, at launch,
to operate at a cost of $4.25 per mile, an uncompetitive
rate that he believes will be progressively reduced
through systems design - and particularly systems
consolidation.
He used the AutoSens venue as an opportunity to
solicit the supplier community for collaboration, with
particular focus on three technologies: high-resolution
radar, nearfield lidar, and camera systems. Radar technical
requirements include all-weather capability, 4D
imaging, and 360-degree field of view (FoV). Cruise's
Omnivision CTO lays out challenges
AutoSens 2022 coincided with two major product
announcements by Omnivision: the new OAX4600
AI-enabled ASIC for simultaneous driver- and
occupant-monitoring systems; and the company's
partnership with Valens Semiconductor on a MIPI
A PHY-compliant camera solution for automotive
applications. The companies will include Valens' new
VA7000 chipsets inside Omnivision's automotive reference
design system (ARDS) camera modules.
Omnivision CTO Dr. Boyd Fowler, told SAE
Media that while camera applications continue to
proliferate, " everybody wants better low-light performance
[<1 lux], and more pixels within the same
format, " with pixel size being driven down to 2.1µm.
Fowler unabashedly laid out other challenges in the
automotive space.
" LEDs are pulse-width modulated, making flicker
from road signs, billboards and headlights huge
problems " for optical sensors, " he noted. " The challenge
is in achieving wide dynamic range with good
flicker mitigation. Omnivision 3-exposure/4-capture
Split Pixel HDR (high-definition radar) was developed
to mitigate LED flicker issues, he said. Fowler
also detailed another automotive customer request,
image sensor junction thermal performance up to
135C (275F) - " very difficult to achieve, " he opined,
explaining that automotive low-power operation
typically calls for 20-to-40 deg. C (68 to 104-deg. F)
package thermal resistivity.
The new OAX4600 integrates a unique feature set,
compact form factor, and low-power requirements,
with ASIL-B functional safety, specifically developed
for vehicle cabin monitoring systems, Fowler said. The
chip uses Omnivision's ISP processing and dedicated
NPU to ensure robust, latency-free image processing
20 July 2022
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE ENGINEERING
Omnivision
Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Autonomous Vehicle Engineering - July 2022
