Stakeholders realize that the timeline of autonomous driving development depends on the maturity of decision algorithms and the performance of sensors. So far, great efforts have been made in improving green laser pointer radar and cameras, especially in autonomous driving, but we have encountered performance thresholds in terms of detection range and operating speed. However, other sensors, such as radar, are relatively less expensive. Because radar has always been at a disadvantage compared to cameras or lidars, it lacks the resolution to parse the world. However, automakers now recognize that radar is the only sensor capable of operating over long distances (above 200 meters) and all weather conditions, and it simply lacks a certain “vision and intelligence”.
Using advanced technology, we can make radars “recover” vision and embed intelligence. This is the era of smart radar. About a dozen startups have reexamined every aspect of automotive radar. We expect more startups and companies to solve this problem.
It’s right to put a lot of focus on the green laser pointer radar. It remains the most stable and reliable sensor in the car. Many people, including some automakers, are familiar with traditional old-fashioned radars. When they think of radar, they think of it as a sensor with low vision and can only obscure “seeing” a whole piece of metal (for example, there is a large piece of metal here, there is a small piece of metal there). This is true for traditional radars, but the next generation of intelligent radars is completely different.