Electronics and Semiconductors

Video: mmWave sensors — What you need to know

30 October 2024

Autonomous vehicles are currently under development with numerous automotive OEMs — like Tesla Motors, Waymo, Cruise, Pony.ai and more — looking to develop partially and fully autonomous vehicles in the next five to 10 years.

To get there — and enhance current and future advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) technology — millimeter wave (mmWave) sensor will be crucial. These sensors offer non-contact sensing capabilities for applications like automotive radar, object detection and lane changing.

These active sensors transmit energy to sense the surrounding environment and offer benefits that other types of sensors do not, like:

  • Smaller component sizes
  • Higher resolution
  • Better accuracy

mmWave sensors are used to sense the environment around vehicles and make adjustments in the case of ADAS or manage the entire driving process in autonomous vehicles. Source: Mouser mmWave sensors are used to sense the environment around vehicles and make adjustments in the case of ADAS or manage the entire driving process in autonomous vehicles. Source: Mouser

mmWave sensors use between the 30 GHz and 300 GHz frequencies in the electromagnetic spectrum while operating between 10 mm and 1 mm wavelengths. The use of these sensors has increased rapidly in the past few years due to these emerging applications.

They also play in sectors like:

  • Internet of things (IoT)
  • Smart buildings
  • Industrial automation

Due to the increased use of these sensors, mmWave sensors’ average selling prices have dropped, which is fueling further adoption and technology development.

To contact the author of this article, email PBrown@globalspec.com


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