- Several major orders strengthen market leading position in radar sensor technology
- Platform concept enables efficient implementation of NCAP applications and automated driving functions
Lighting and electronics expert, HELLA, will be bringing its latest 77 GHz radar technology into series production in Spring 2020 and has already acquired several major orders, including an Asian manufacturer of trucks and buses. The market launch will take place within the framework of the strategic cooperation with ZF. Subsequently, HELLA will start series production for other international car manufacturers, further expanding its strong market position in the field of radar sensor technology. The radar sensors will initially be manufactured at the electronics plant in Hamm, Germany, as well as in China and the USA.
“Radar sensor technology is key for the realisation of assisted and automated driving functions”, says Frank Petznick, who, as a member of HELLA’s Electronics Executive Board, is responsible for the global Automated Driving Product Centre. “Our 77 GHz radar sensors therefore make a significant contribution.”
HELLA’s latest 77 GHz radar technology is characterised by its high performance and range, as well as its compact design. This simplifies its integration into the vehicle body and enables 360 perception of the environment around the vehicle. The radar sensors are based on a modular, scalable platform concept that allows customer-specific requirements to be implemented, flexibly and efficiently. Therefore, NCAP requirements, as well as functions for automated driving, can be employed.
“With our platform approach, our 77 GHz radar family covers all essential market requirements: from cost-optimised sensors for basic assistance functions, for high-volume vehicle segments and commercial vehicles for example, to highperformance variants that are necessary for advanced development stages of autonomous driving, such as automated parking or highway pilot,” says Frank Petznick.
At the beginning of the year, HELLA also announced a strategic partnership with the US start-up, Oculii. The aim is to further increase the performance of the 77 GHz radar platform by integrating software developed by Oculii. Results of the development partnership are expected to go into series production in 2023. HELLA has been active in the radar business for around 20 years and was one of the first companies to start series production of 24 GHz radar sensors for rear applications. Today, HELLA is the global market leader in this field, with more than 30 million sensors manufactured.
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