LG Innotek successfully developed automotive interior radar module to improve passenger safety

• The United States and Europe are mandatory to install sensors to prevent infants and young children from being left in cars

  
  

• LG Innotek's radar module has the world's highest level of resolution and can accurately identify objects

- Airbags that can prevent infants and young children from being left behind in the car and optimize the protection of passengers' lives

• "Leading the era of autonomous driving by revolutionizing customer experience"

SEOUL, South Korea, July 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- LG Innotek (CEO Jeong Cheoldong) announced on the 28th that it has successfully developed a world-leading high-level "automotive interior radar module". With this development, LG Innotek has taken a step ahead in the global automotive radar module market.

LG Innotek develops "Indoor vehicle radar module"

The "Automotive Interior Radar Module" is an accessory that uses radio waves to detect the presence of life and whether the vehicle is moving. It is mainly used to prevent children from being left in the car and to prevent the vehicle from being stolen. It is made by combining various accessories such as radar chips, antennas, and communication chips on a substrate, and is mainly installed on the second row of the car's ceiling and the interior mirror.

The demand for interior sensing devices such as "vehicle interior radar modules" is surging not only in Korea but also around the world. Korea requires mandatory installation of safety devices in vehicles with children to confirm whether the children have safely exited the vehicle, and Europe plans to include a child occupancy sensing function test in the new car sales license standards from 2023. In order to prevent infants and young children from being left behind in the car, the United States is promoting the mandatory installation of child occupancy sensing functions from 2025. This trend is rapidly expanding to other countries.

Among the vehicle interior sensing devices, the "vehicle interior radar module" stands out. Unlike cameras, lasers can penetrate even obstructions such as clothes and blankets to accurately sense the presence or absence of living things, and since radio waves are used instead of images, there is no concern about privacy violations. In addition, unlike pressure sensors and ultrasonic sensors, which require the cumbersome installation of at least 5 units, radar modules have the advantage of accurate sensing with only 1 to 2 sensors.

In addition, the module is also very useful for self-driving vehicles. It can replace the driver to play a variety of roles, such as confirming whether the passengers are wearing seat belts, reminding the time to get off the car, etc. Therefore, global vehicle and vehicle parts companies are actively discussing the introduction of this module.

• LG Innotek's radar module has the world's highest level of resolution and can accurately identify objects

LG Innotek's "Indoor Vehicle Radar Module" has a resolution (resolution, the degree of accurate object distinction) that is about 40% higher than before, reaching the world's highest performance. In addition, the module's signal processing time is about 30% shorter than the standard, allowing for faster sensing.

To improve performance, LG Innotek adopted its own antenna design technology accumulated in the field of vehicle communications and WeChat signal sensing algorithm (eliminating noise and selectively sensing only accurate signals).

In particular, the antenna arrangement structure was optimized using DX (Digital Transformation) using a computer program, achieving 1.3 times higher antenna performance with the same number of antennas. In addition, the signal sensing error was optimized, and software to improve the sensitivity of the micro signal was independently developed, further improving accuracy.

The module also has the advantage of flexible installation location. It can be installed at any location required by the customer by only changing part of the antenna design. Existing products are more troublesome to change the direction of radio waves and must be installed at specified locations such as the second row ceiling or the interior mirror.

• Airbags that prevent infants and young children from being left behind in the car and optimize the protection of passengers' lives

LG Innotek's "Indoor Vehicle Radar Module" can detect the position and number of passengers in the front seats of the vehicle, their biological signals, and their movements. Currently, commercial products can only sense whether there are people, animals, or other living things in the back seats.

The "Indoor Vehicle Radar Module" can prevent children from being left behind in the car. This product has a high degree of accuracy and can even sense the subtle breathing of a 3-month-old baby. If a child is left in the car, the driver will be notified immediately to minimize the occurrence of accidents.

In addition, this product also improves the safety of protecting the lives of passengers. With this product, customized airbags can be set. Accurately grasp the position and size of passengers, adjust the airbag pressure according to adults and children, and achieve optimization.

This product is also helpful in preventing vehicle theft/intrusion. It can accurately grasp life signals and promptly alert the driver through warning sounds, smartphones, etc. if abnormal movements in or around the car are detected after parking.

It also has the functions required for autonomous driving (without a driver). It can realize various functions, such as not starting if the passenger does not fasten the seat belt, or if the passenger falls asleep and does not get off in time when arriving at the destination, the chair vibrates to wake up the passenger.

It is expected that more functions will be added in the future, such as conveniently controlling the interior air-conditioning temperature, music volume and other internal vehicle equipment using only gestures.

• "Leading the era of autonomous driving by revolutionizing customer experience"

LG Innotek's policy is to take the lead in launching "indoor vehicle radar modules" and actively enter the radar module market. Aiming to commercialize it in 2024, it will actively promote it not only in Korea but also to global vehicle and vehicle parts companies in the United States, Europe, and Japan.

Byaeng Kuk Yoo, General Manager (Executive) of the Electrical Device Components Business Division, said, "Existing products have difficulty distinguishing objects accurately, but LG Innotek has overcome these limitations," and said, "LG Innotek's automotive interior radar module will create a huge market response." He also said, "In the future, we will also take the lead in launching future automotive parts that can innovate customer experience and lead the era of fully autonomous driving."

According to statistics from global market research organizations Yole Development and Fuji Kimera, the global automotive radar module market will grow from 2.7 trillion won in 2020 to 22.3 trillion won in 2040, with an average annual growth rate of nearly 11%. In particular, the demand for "automotive interior radar modules" is expected to grow rapidly, from 150,000 units in 2020 to 87 million units, with an average annual growth rate of about 37%.

LG Innotek develops "Indoor vehicle radar module"