Alps Alpine and Acconeer collaborate on next-generation sensing technology

On April 24, Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. (TOKYO 6770, President and CEO: Toshihiro Kuriyama, Headquarters: Tokyo, hereinafter “Alps Alpine”) and Acconeer AB (CEO: Lars Lindell, Headquarters: Lund, Sweden, hereinafter “Acconeer”), a company engaged in the development of radar sensors, signed an MOU (※1) to jointly develop next-generation sensing technology for automotive applications. The two companies will develop high-performance and cost-effective millimeter-wave sensors, and use their unique detection algorithms to enhance their applicability to a variety of applications, aiming to expand their automotive business.

The automotive industry is in a period of great change that only happens once in a century. With the emergence of new technology fields represented by CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared & Services, Electric), the technology required for automobiles has changed dramatically compared to the past. In particular, the sensing technology using cameras, LiDAR and millimeter waves is called the "eyes of autonomous driving" and is essential for grasping the situation outside the car, so the trend of it becoming a standard feature of automobiles is accelerating. In addition, it is also an indispensable core technology for various in-car monitoring to grasp the driver's dynamics and realize safe and comfortable travel for passengers. These functions are difficult to achieve with a single sensor, so detection algorithms that integrate and process data detected by multiple sensors to obtain high-level recognition functions will become increasingly important.

Alps Alpine has the advantage of sensor technology and has been providing a wide variety of sensors for the automotive and civilian markets to meet the needs of customers and the market. In particular, it has devoted its efforts to the field of Premium-HMI (※2), developing functional devices that integrate various sensors and systems such as electrostatic sensors, near-infrared spectrometer sensors, and cameras, and is committed to achieving safer and more comfortable travel for passengers.

In order to strengthen the millimeter wave sensing technology that is emerging in the market, our company signed a "Strategic Partnership Agreement for Automotive Product Development" with Acconeer in September last year. We have been working with the company to study various applications using millimeter wave sensors. For example, the sensing of obstacles outside the vehicle, the sensing of the opening and closing of the tailgate based on the movement of the foot, and other uses related to the sensing of passengers such as children forgotten in the car and forgetting to wear seat belts. We have proposed these applications to customers and received positive reviews.

Through the MOU signed with Acconeer, we will collaborate on the development of next-generation sensing technology, combining the company's low-power, small-scale loop, wide-angle detection analog design technology advantages with our antenna, millimeter wave design, evaluation technology, and vehicle-mounted quality control technology to develop powerful and cost-effective millimeter wave sensors.

In the future, by adding sensors that use our unique detection algorithms to our product lineup, we will further strengthen our ability to propose applications and meet the broad needs of next-generation vehicles in the CASE era. We will work to expand various automotive business areas, especially in the field of sensor fusion that combines cameras and millimeter wave sensors, and aim to achieve commercialization of 50 billion yen.

※1 Memorandum of Understanding (Basic Agreement). Written document recording the matters agreed upon in transactions between organizations

※2 A high-quality Human Machine Interface that provides a sense of luxury while achieving comfortable operability