KARIYA, Japan – DENSO Corp. has developed a new vision sensor that it says is 50 percent smaller than the company’s previous sensor. The new sensor, which is used in active safety systems with Automatic High Beam (AHB) Control Systems and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) Systems, is the world’s smallest of its kind, according to DENSO. In addition, the sensor can perform at a higher operating temperature compared to the previous model, making this the greatest operating temperature range in the world as well, the company states.
 
Typically, vision sensors are mounted on the upper edge of the windshield near the rear view mirror. Because of the location, DENSO engineers focused on reducing the sensor’s size. In addition, for the new sensor to better operate in hotter climates and regions, DENSO also needed to focus on increasing the sensor’s maximum operating temperature.
 
To address these two challenges, DENSO developed a low-processing load and high-performance algorithm, which only requires a high-temperature resistant, general-purpose microcomputer as opposed to image-processing integrated circuits (ICs), which are generally required for vision sensors for both LDW system and AHB system. Eliminating these ICs allowed the sensor size to be reduced, which also allowed for an increase in the maximum operating temperature, DENSO says.
 
DENSO’s new sensor is equipped with a full-color camera as opposed to a monochrome camera, which allows the LDW System to detect lane lines markings in various colors around the world. This also allows the AHB Control systems to easily distinguish the tail lights of the vehicle ahead from other light sources.
 
This new vision sensor is available as a factory option for the Lexus ES, which launched in China this July, and will launch later in North America, Russia, the Middle East, as well as other regions of the world. DENSO says it will progressively make the new sensor available for a greater number of vehicle models.