Will the falling cost of lidar sensors make blind spot display systems unnecessary?

According to foreign media reports, seven years ago, it cost much more to install a pair of radar sensors on the rear bumper of a car than it does now. Therefore, Honda has designed a clever way to replace blind spot monitoring, which installs a second backup camera on the right rearview mirror of the car and overlays the video feed on the entertainment information display when the driver presses the rear turn signal. LaneWatch has always been an affordable auxiliary inspection device, but now Honda may no longer be so sure about the function of the system.

Recently, Honda senior product manager Gary Robinson said Honda will focus on "traditional" blind-spot monitoring systems and ditch LaneWatch on future models. Honda has been quietly removing LaneWatch from the current Accord (previously a 2013 model) and the updated 2019 Pilot. LaneWatch has been eliminated from nearly every new Honda model over the past two-plus years. Only six models currently offer the feature: the Civic, Clarity, Fit, HR-V, Insight, and Ridgeline, and when those models are redesigned, LaneWatch will likely be gone.

Robinson said consumers have now accepted the flashing alert feature of blind spot monitoring systems, and the feature has spread throughout the market. In 2016, we found that more than 350 new models on sale offered the feature. By the end of 2018, that percentage had risen to 85%, according to Consumer Reports. However, cost is still a barrier, with only about 15% of new cars offering blind spot monitoring systems as standard, and these are usually luxury cars, which cost hundreds of dollars more per vehicle to equip.

Honda's LaneWatch system, by contrast, uses a color camera and no expensive sensors or extra modifications, just a unique mirror housing and a button on the turn signal stalk to activate or deactivate the feature. Some in the media have complained that LaneWatch blocks the stereo and navigation controls, which is true. But the average driver doesn't change radio stations while changing lanes, and the LaneWatch camera can be turned off by pressing the button on the turn signal stalk.

More promisingly, the cost of lidar sensors will continue to drop as automakers invest in semi-autonomous and fully autonomous vehicles that rely on such technology, so having two competing blind-spot monitoring systems could make LaneWatch less cost-effective from a production perspective. While LaneWatch can only see one lane, not two, it's still a very useful feature if you can just adjust the right mirror to the appropriate position to accommodate your blind spot.