A new report detailing the crucial role radar will have in automotive safety has been released by UK-based research firm IDTechEx (IDTE).
According to the findings radar will be critical to achieving emerging level 4 autonomy in both light and heavy vehicles.
The organisation stated that while today more than 50 per cent of new cars incorporate one or more radars, by 2042 all new vehicles will come with multiple radars as they become a key enabler for future mobility modes.
Today, front-mounted radars are crucial for enabling common Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) such as Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
Radar is the go-to sensor solution as it precisely measures the range and velocity of vehicles, while also being impervious to darkness, poor weather and fog.
Active safety features, IDTE said, have already proven effective in reducing rear-end collisions by 45 per cent, according to statistics collated by the European Transport Safety Council.
The safety benefits are leading to a push from regulators and safety bodies, such as the European New Car Assessment Program (Euro NCAP), to get automatic emergency braking fitted to all new vehicles.
IDTE said it has delved deeply into these regulatory pushes in its report titled “Automotive Radar 2022-2042” and as a result predicts strong growth in radar adoption moving forward.
One of the findings IDTE detailed in its report is that radar is approaching the performance of Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology due to the consistent improvement in radar sensors from Tier 1 suppliers such as Bosch, Continental and Denso over the past decade.
Another driver of radar sales, according to IDTE, will be the emergence of higher levels of autonomous vehicles.
Level 3 vehicles have reportedly already hit the roads of Japan and are expected to enter the European market in 2022.
Level 3 vehicles and beyond are expected to have at least five radars per vehicle, with each of these radars needing to have higher performance than ever before.