Advanced Driver Assistance Systems - ADAS

Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) are primarily focused on collision avoidance technologies (for example, lane departure warning and blind-spot applications) and driver aids, such as night vision, driver alertness and adaptive cruise control. ADAS offerings are primarily built into the vehicle, but vendors are beginning to offer aftermarket solutions. Next-generation ADASs will increasingly leverage wireless network connectivity to offer improved value (by using car-to-car data).

Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) are groups of electronic technologies that assist drivers in driving and parking functions. Through a safe human-machine interface, ADAS increase car and road safety. ADAS use automated technology, such as sensors and cameras, to detect nearby obstacles or driver errors, and respond accordingly.

As most road accidents occur due to human error, ADAS are developed to automate, adapt, and enhance vehicle technology for safety and better driving. ADAS are proven to reduce road fatalities by minimizing human error. Safety features are designed to avoid accidents and collisions by offering technologies that alert the driver to problems, implementing safeguards, and taking control of the vehicle if necessary. Adaptive features may automate lighting, provide adaptive cruise control, assist in avoiding collisions, incorporate satellite navigation and traffic warnings, alert drivers to possible obstacles, assist in lane departure and lane centering, provide navigational assistance through smartphones, and provide other features.

ADAS Applications

Significant automotive safety improvements in the past (e.g., shatter-resistant glass, three-point seatbelts, airbags) were passive safety measures designed to minimize injury during an accident. Today, ADAS systems actively improve safety with the help of embedded vision by reducing the occurrence of accidents and injury to occupants.

The implementation of cameras in the vehicle involves a new AI function that uses sensor fusion to identify and process objects. Sensor fusion, similar to the human brain process information, combines large amounts of data with the help of image recognition software, ultrasound sensors, lidar, and radar. This technology can physically respond faster than a human driver ever could. It can analyze streaming video in real time, recognize what the video shows, and determine how to react to it.

Some of the most common ADAS applications are:

1. Adaptive Cruise Control

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) is particularly helpful on the highway, where drivers can find it difficult to monitor their speed and other cars over a long period of time. Advanced cruise control can automatically accelerate, slow down, and at times stop the vehicle, depending on the actions other objects in the immediate area.

2. Glare-Free High Beam and Pixel Light

Glare-free high beam and pixel light uses sensors to adjust to darkness and the vehicle’s surroundings without disturbing oncoming traffic. This new headlight application detects the lights of other vehicles and redirects the vehicle’s lights away to prevent other road users from being temporarily blinded.

3. Adaptive Light Control

Adaptive light control adapts the vehicle’s headlights to external lighting conditions. It changes the strength, direction, and rotation of the headlights depending on the vehicle’s environment and darkness.

4. Automatic Parking

Automatic parking helps inform drivers of blind spots so they know when to turn the steering wheel and stop. Vehicles equipped with rearview cameras have a better view of their surroundings than traditional side mirrors. Some systems can even complete parking automatically without the driver’s help by combining the input of multiple sensors.

5. Autonomous Valet Parking

Autonomous valet parking is a new technology that works via vehicle sensor meshing, 5G network communication, with cloud services that manage autonomous vehicles in parking areas. The vehicles sensors provide the vehicle with information about where it is, where it needs to go, and how to get there safely. All this information is methodically evaluated and used to perform drive acceleration, braking, and steering until the vehicle is safely parked.

6. Navigation System

Car navigation systems provide on-screen instructions and voice prompts to help drivers follow a route while concentrating on the road. Some navigation systems can display exact traffic data and, if necessary, plan a new route to avoid traffic jams. Advanced systems may even offer Heads Up Displays (HuD) to reduce driver distraction.

7. Night Vision

Night vision systems enable drivers to see things that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to see at night. There are two categories of night vision implementations: Active night vision systems project infrared light, and passive systems rely on the thermal energy that comes from cars, animals, and other objects.

8. Blind Spot Monitoring

Blind spot detection systems use sensors to provide drivers with important information that is otherwise difficult or impossible to obtain. Some systems sound an alarm when they detect an object in the driver’s blind spot, such as when the driver tries to move into an occupied lane.

9. Automatic Emergency Braking

Automatic emergency braking uses sensors to detect whether the driver is in the process of hitting another vehicle or other objects on the road. This application can measure the distance of nearby traffic and alert the driver to any danger. Some emergency braking systems can take preventive safety measures, such as tightening seat belts, reducing speed, and adaptive steering to avoid a collision.

10. Crosswind Stabilization

This relatively new ADAS feature supports the vehicle in counteracting strong crosswinds. The sensors in this system can detect strong pressure acting on the vehicle while driving and apply brakes to the wheels affected by crosswind disturbance.

11. Driver Drowsiness Detection

Driver drowsiness detection warns drivers of sleepiness or other road distractions. There are several ways to determine whether a driver’s attention is decreasing. In one case, sensors can analyze the movement of the driver’s head, and heart rate to determine whether they indicate drowsiness. Other systems issue driver alerts similar to the warning signals for lane detection.

12. Driver Monitoring System

The driver monitoring system is another way of measuring the driver’s attention. The camera sensors can analyze whether the driver’s eyes are on the road or drifting. Driver monitoring systems can alert drivers with noises, vibrations in the steering wheel, or flashing lights. In some cases, the car will take the extreme measure of stopping the vehicle completely.

13. 5G and V2X

This hot new 5G ADAS feature, with increased reliability and lower latency, provides communication between the vehicle and other vehicles or pedestrians, generally referred to as V2X. Today, millions of vehicles connect to cellular networks for real-time navigation. This application will enhance existing methods and the cellular network to improve situational awareness, control or suggest speed adjustments to account for traffic congestion, and update GPS maps with real-time updates. V2X is essential to support over-the-air (OTA) software updates for the now-extensive range of software-driven systems in cars, from map updates to bug fixes to security updates and more.