Echodyne Launches Breakthrough Imaging Radar to Empower Autonomous Vehicles

According to foreign media reports, Echodyne, a high-performance radar platform company for autonomous driving, has released EchoDrive, a breakthrough imaging radar for autonomous vehicles. Based on MESA® technology, EchoDrive provides new sensor functions and significantly improves machine perception capabilities.

(Image source: Echodyne official website)

EchoDrive provides unprecedented real-time control for the detection of driving scenarios, making machine perception richer. The radar's dynamic control API uses resources in the autonomous driving stack, such as high-definition maps, V2X, and other sensor data, to optimize measurements at all times through changing environments, conditions, and scenarios. For example, EchoDrive can smoothly switch from normal driving mode to busy traffic area mode, and increase the frame rate to ensure unprotected left turns, or zoom in when entering a tunnel. This is a dynamic mission operation of a high-performance analog beam-steering radar that can enhance the cognitive functions of AI and machine learning in the autonomous driving stack, thereby greatly improving safety.

“Currently, the data flow in the autonomous driving stack is one-way, with sensors delivering information and the autonomous driving system processing the information and taking action,” said Eben Frankenberg, CEO of Echodyne. “We are missing the dynamic, interactive data flow that makes cognitive functions in the autonomous driving stack possible. With EchoDrive, the autonomous driving system can guide the radar to scan specific objects and obtain accurate driving scene information to make more correct autonomous driving decisions. We look forward to using EchoDrive to help companies design, manufacture and deliver safer vehicles.”

Echodyne, which has successfully built and delivered high-performance radars for defense, government, aviation and commercial applications, is expanding its radar platform technology to help automakers build and deliver safer self-driving trucks, buses and ride-sharing vehicles.

EchoDrive has the following advanced autonomous driving imaging features:

• High-resolution imaging in azimuth and elevation

  
  

• Active beam-steering road tracking

  
  

• Seamlessly adapt to changing driving scenarios

  
  

• Rich, unfiltered raw data

  
  

• The dynamic control API provides powerful perception sensor capabilities.

“EchoDrive is a quantum leap forward for autonomous imaging radar, bringing perception sensing capabilities to the autonomous driving space,” said Tom Driscoll, CTO of Echodyne. “Our adaptive radar sensor integrates Texas Instruments mmWave sensors, our proprietary MESA technology, and a powerful software framework to advance autonomous driving architectures in every way.”