Tech Briefs Magazine - May 2024 - Sensor-20

360°
Electronic Mirror
Replacement
Surround View
Lane Keeping
Assist
Cross Traffic
Alert
Blind Spot
Detection
Rear Collision
Warning
Adaptive
Cruise
Control
Emergency Braking
Pedestrian Detection
Forward Collision
Warning
Traffic Sign
Recognition
360°
Exterior Camera
Interior Camera
LIDAR
Short/Medium Range Radar
Long Range Radar
Surround View
Blind Spot
Detection
Electronic Mirror
Replacement
In-Cabin Sensing
Driver Monitoring
Gesture
360°
Surround View
Park Assist
Figure 3. Autonomous driving places sensors at the forefront of enhancing vehicle safety and efficiency. (Image: TE Connectivity)
such as solid-state batteries - reinforce
the importance of sensors. Sensors help
monitor performance through current
and voltage measurements and improve
adherence to safety standards by assessing
the battery's condition with temperature,
humidity, and pressure indicators.
The reliability and precision of
sensor measurements, coupled with algorithms
that process these inputs, are
crucial for preserving
the battery's
range efficiency and guaranteeing user
safety over its lifetime.
Current and voltage sensors are used as
inputs to the system's battery management
system (BMS) to accurately estimate
the battery pack's
state of charge
and state of health (SoC and SoH). This
is extremely important in computing
driving range, and for managing the
charging/discharging profiles of the
battery pack.
Temperature sensors are used to monitor
battery pack temperatures to ensure
safe operation as the systems push to
maximum efficiency
Pressure and humidity sensors are used
together or independently in battery
systems to monitor changes in the battery
pack (liquid leakage or pressure
expansion) as early indicators of impending
battery failure or thermal
runaway.
20
Beyond Personal Vehicles
Innovations in efficiency continue to
extend beyond personal vehicles, finding
importance in the heavy-duty transportation
and construction sectors, where the
adoption of sensor technology is also rapidly
expanding. As these sectors move towards
cleaner fuels and electrification, the
role of sensors is evolving. Integrating
sensors with AI, cameras, and radar technology
is a game-changer for safety and
productivity, helping to spot potential
hazards early and prevent accidents before
they happen.
Oil property sensors are used to determine
the " quality " of the oil in real time
and make maintenance decisions as
needed. They deliver real-time data on
oil conditions such as viscosity, density,
dielectric constant, and temperature.
This enables proactive maintenance, significantly
reducing repair times.
Recently, a heavy-duty multinational
company reduced its repair intervals
from six days to just two by adopting oil
property monitoring sensors, helping
to reduce vehicle downtime and improve
profitability.
Software-Defined and
Autonomous Vehicles
Radar, LIDAR, and cameras are the primary
sensors used to detect the environwww.techbriefs.com
ment
around the vehicle to enable autonomous
driving, but these sensors need to
work in combination with a host of other
systems and sensors to ensure that the vehicle
is properly behaving and reacting to
the environment. Steering position sensors
detect the exact position of the steering
system, brake pressure sensors ensure
the correct amount of brake pressure is
applied, humidity sensors ensure the cameras
are not fogged, and so on.
In the architectures of software-defined
vehicles, systems with integrated
sensors must support over-the-air updates
to facilitate the introduction of
new features as part of upgrade packages.
Therefore, sensors require the
flexibility to adapt through software updates,
priming them for isolated activation,
as OEMs begin rolling out monthly
subscriptions for added-value services.
The electronics in the sensor will therefore
need to be upgraded to allow for
two way communications.
Autonomous driving places sensors
at the forefront of enhancing vehicle
safety and efficiency. Through vehicle-to-vehicle
(V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure
(V2X) communications,
autonomous systems enable vehicles to
intelligently interact with their surroundings
and each other. Sensors enable
the vehicle to respond to dynamic
Sensor Technology, May 2024

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Tech Briefs Magazine - May 2024

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