Smart car cameras: Building a visual network for future driving safety

With the rapid development of modern automobile technology, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) have become standard equipment for all models, especially in L2 to L3 autonomous driving cars. In order to achieve these advanced driving functions, modern cars are generally equipped with five or more cameras, which are carefully arranged in various key positions of the car body and play an indispensable role. Next, let's explore the specific layout of these cameras and their unique functions.

As a key component in the autonomous driving system, the forward vision camera is usually placed in the windshield or rearview mirror area, acting as the "eyes" to perceive the outside world. The main task of these cameras is to capture the road conditions in front of the vehicle, the dynamics of other vehicles and pedestrians in real time, and their viewing angle covers approximately 45 degrees. With the help of advanced image sensors and high-performance processors, these cameras can accurately analyze the road conditions ahead, and then provide intelligent assistance functions such as forward collision warning, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control. It is worth mentioning that in order to improve the safety of night driving, new night vision cameras are often equipped here to enhance the visual ability in low light conditions. The design of the forward-looking camera can be monocular or binocular. Although the binocular camera has more accurate distance measurement, it also brings higher costs and technical challenges accordingly. For example, well-known brands such as Tesla have adopted a layout of three forward-looking cameras to achieve a wider field of view coverage, so as to ensure that the vehicle always maintains comprehensive perception capabilities when moving forward.

The panoramic image monitoring system adopts a surround vision camera layout to achieve 360-degree seamless visual coverage. The system accurately identifies parking spaces, road conditions and adjacent vehicles, and provides a clear panoramic view through multi-source image stitching technology, improving the safety and convenience of parking and driving in narrow spaces. The careful arrangement of cameras ensures no blind spots and reduces the risk of obstructed vision.

Side-view cameras, as an important element in modern car design, are usually cleverly integrated into the side mirrors or the bottom of the vehicle. Their core task is to eliminate blind spots during driving, especially when changing lanes or turning, to provide drivers with a more comprehensive field of view, thereby greatly enhancing driving safety. These cameras capture images on both sides of the vehicle in real time, providing valuable data support for the BSD (blind spot detection) system. In certain specific situations, they can also help expand the driver's front/rear field of view. With the continuous advancement of technology, side-view cameras are expected to gradually replace traditional rearview mirrors and become an indispensable part of the future electronic rearview mirror system, bringing drivers a clearer and more convenient visual experience, while further improving driving safety performance.

As a reversing tool, the rear camera is often cleverly placed on the trunk lid or rear window. It magically maps the rear view to the central control screen in real time, providing the driver with unparalleled clarity of vision, thereby effectively avoiding potential collision risks. With the continuous advancement of technology, high-definition and intelligent rear-view systems have gradually become standard features of high-end models, not only facilitating cutting-edge functions such as automatic parking, but also invisibly optimizing the parking experience and pushing safety performance to a new level.

The internal camera is cleverly embedded in the steering wheel, rearview mirror or dashboard, becoming a powerful assistant to the driver monitoring system (DMS). It uses advanced near-infrared technology to monitor the driver's physiological state in real time to ensure that they always maintain a high level of concentration. This system is crucial for L2-3 autonomous driving cars, which can quickly identify the risk of fatigue driving or distraction and issue timely reminders. In addition, some models are also equipped with an occupant monitoring system (OMS) to provide more comprehensive safety protection for passengers in the car, especially children.

As the core of the car's perception system, cameras can not only see the external environment, but also monitor the situation inside the car in real time. They work closely with radars, ultrasonic sensors, etc. to build an indestructible safety barrier, leading cars towards a smarter and safer future.