Kodak Helps to Merge Automotive Vision and Safety Systems

TECHNOLOGY FOCUSKodak Helps to Merge Automotive Vision and Safety SystemsDETROIT, MI, (April 4, 2006) - Following its 2004 acquisition of National Semiconductor, Eastman Kodak Co. has expanded its commitment to the automotive imaging market by unveiling of its new complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) KAC-00400 image sensor, designed specifically for automotive vision applications. According to Kodak, the image sensor can be used in driver assistance programs to provide improved and advanced warning of potential hazards.Bigger pixels = more information Essentially, like a bigger bucket holding more water, the new sensor employs more and larger pixels to capture a bigger picture with more detail. The image sensor provides higher resolution and greater sensitivity than the current generation product, says Kodak, and is targeted to systems that enhance driver awareness by providing "eyes" throughout a vehicle to assist both the driver and on-board computer systems to help avoid an accident. These sensors have already been designed into driver assistance systems now available from a Japanese luxury automaker. They also are incorporated into the new Volvo S80 and are available in aftermarket vision systems from MobileEye. Applications include front-, side- and rear-view cameras that can provide lane departure warnings, identification of potential threats not previously detected, blind spot detection and rear view.

These new cameras are designed to provide additional "eyes" throughout the vehicle.
(Photo: Kodak)

While tremendous strides have been made enhancing vehicle and road safety through passive safety devices such as seat belts and airbags, these systems are primarily designed to help minimize the severity of injuries if an accident should occur. They do not help drivers avoid the actual occurrence of an accident. Chris McNiffe, general manager of Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions business said, "The addition of imaging functionality offers a great potential to improve driver assistance systems, and Kodak is proud to be at the forefront of developing image sensors for this important and growing market."

More recently designed safety systems, such as antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems, can now take a more active role in automotive safety, working to lower the chance of being involved in an accident at all, says the company. By expanding these active safety systems to incorporate imaging technology, a new class of devices are now being designed that can collect and feed visual data to on-board computer systems, allowing drivers to be more aware of the traffic elements around them - regardless of driving conditions.

For example, cameras mounted at the front of a vehicle can monitor lane markings on the road, providing an alert if a driver drifts into another lane without using a directional signal. Cameras located on side-view mirrors can provide a warning if a vehicle is positioned in a driver's blind-spot. By providing additional "eyes" throughout the vehicle, drivers can be alerted to danger and are given additional reaction time.

The new Volvo S80 for example, employs its "Collision Warning with Brake Support" system that uses Kodak's new sensor. As shown in the illustration, while a driver has time to avoid an accident without drastic action, warnings are provided, allowing the driver time to react. But should a collision become unavoidable, the system takes action on its own, sooner than a driver might react.

Volvo's Collision Warning System with Brake Support.
(Photo: Volvo)As automotive suppliers and vehicle manufacturers deploy driver assistance systems more broadly within their product lines, the demand for image sensors designed for automotive applications is projected to increase. According to industry analysts at In-Stat/MDR and Techno Systems Research Co. Ltd., automotive imaging is anticipated to be a high-growth market for image sensors, with more than 10 million units forecasted to be sold annually by 2008.Using feedback to drive solutions Kodak noted that according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 6.1 million traffic crashes occurred in 2004, resulting in more than 42,000 fatalities. However, NHTSA also estimates that the integration of driver assistance systems, such as lane departure warning and blind spot detection, could reduce this number of collisions by almost 50 percent. Surveying its customers for feedback, Kodak learned what consumers see as needed improvements. Wider resolution to pick up objects on the perimeters; high sensitivity to help identify objects in poor, low and transition lighting conditions, such as exiting a tunnel into bright light or the reverse; and a faster frame rate to stay in the moment were just a few of the suggestions that Kodak representatives say helped them respond with an image sensor that delivers a clear, clean, fast and crisp exposure. Translating Feedback Into Benefits Feedback RequestAction Taken By KodakDriver BenefitWider resolution20% more pixels on horizontal axisPotential driving threats detected on outer edges and further awayHigher sensitivityTripled the sensitivityBetter image resolution (e.g. picking up objects beyond headlight range)Clear imaging in low light / extreme temperature situationsIncreased signal-to-noiseCrisp images even in low light or varying temperaturesImprove imaging in changing lighting conditions (e.g. a tunnel of oncoming headlights)Improved high dynamic resolution to enable clear extraction of both bright and dark scenesImages now include cleaner details of both dark and brighter areasFaster frame rateDoubled frames per secondMore time to react

As a result of feedback from its current automotive customers, Kodak made several improvements in the design of the new KAC-00400 image sensor to improve performance and enhance safety. The company designed a wider Video Graphic Array (VGA) that used a 768 x 488 pixels format; this added 20 percent more pixels than a standard VGA sensor. The new sensor employs a more light-sensitive pixel and a lower noise design; these two combine to improve the sensor's imaging performance under low lighting conditions, allowing the driver assistance system to work better at night or to identify objects farther away under darker conditions.

In addition, Kodak ensured the sensor also could access shorter exposure times to provide better exposure control under bright light conditions, such as driving into direct sunlight. An improved control of extended dynamic range function was provided that enable the sensor to perform better under conditions that are simultaneously bright and dark, such as driving out of a dark tunnel into bright daylight. Finally, the frame rate of the sensor was doubled from 30 to 60 frames per second (fps), allowing driver assistance systems to better capture rapid movements.

Kodak continues to watch for trends in occupant and vehicle safety measures. Passive and active systems - whether standalone or integrated into other safety systems, such as adaptive cruise control or the collision system - are on the rise, driven by consumer demands and regulators. With its long history in the imaging industry, Kodak believes that better image support provides drivers in critical situations with more time to react, and consequently, more peace of mind.

(Sources: Kodak, Volvo, MobileEye)