Driving innovation in next-generation advanced driver assistance systems

Automatic parking, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, these driving assistance features that were once exclusive to luxury cars have now been expanded to mainstream cars, providing drivers with a higher level of autonomous driving and advanced driver assistance systems ( ADAS ) for their daily lives.

As new models become more intelligent, they can learn, connect, communicate, monitor, make decisions, entertain, and assist in driving. The complexity of vehicles and their ability to process massive amounts of data have increased dramatically, making these advanced features possible.

"We have turned the automotive space into a hub for innovation and are at the forefront of technological advancements to enable better ADAS and ultimately autonomous driving," said Curt Moore, who leads TI's Jacino processor business .

To drive the next generation of autonomous driving , our company introduced the new low-power, high-performance Jacinto™ 7 processor platform , which enables automotive designers and manufacturers to create better ADAS technology and automotive gateway systems that serve as communication hubs. The first two devices in the Jacinto 7 processor platform are designed to improve the perception of the car's surroundings and accelerate data sharing in software-defined vehicles - all enabled by a software platform that developers can use to extend their software investment across multiple automotive designs.

“We are leveraging more than 20 years of automotive and functional safety expertise to develop processors with enhanced deep learning capabilities and advanced networking to address design challenges for ADAS and automotive gateway applications,” Curt said. “These innovations will provide a flexible platform capable of supporting manufacturers’ needs from high-end luxury vehicles to other vehicles.”

Three major trends that are affecting the development of modern automobiles :

• Improving ADAS technology and transitioning to higher levels of autonomous driving

• Enhanced connectivity to the cloud for over-the-air updates , emergency calls , and more

• Enable vehicle electrification to reduce emissions, improve efficiency and power advanced electronics

Each of these trends requires large amounts of data that needs to be processed and communicated in real time and securely. Improved ADAS and vehicle automation will require a combination of cameras, radar, and possibly lidar technology within systems that can quickly adapt to the world around them. Transmitting data in and out of the car will require a significant increase in data processing. Managing and connecting the large amounts of data both inside and outside the car will also be critical to enabling vehicle electrification.

Increasingly popular features such as car sharing , fleet management and tracking , car dealers remotely monitoring vehicle health to schedule preventive maintenance , and data collection for improved ADAS all require connectivity to the Internet and the cloud. With over-the-air updates , users can do anything from updating critical software fixes to refreshing entertainment content on the go.

“The influx of information into the car has increased the need for processors or systems on a chip to quickly and efficiently manage multiple levels of processing in real time while operating within the power constraints of the system,” Curt said.