ELECTRONICS


safety and security in autonomous vehicle development, optical sensors – in the form of LIDAR, radar systems and cameras – are rapidly emerging as essential components in various ADAS applications including blind- spot detection, cruise control and reverse assistance, among others. In essence, optical sensing technologies are playing an increasingly prominent role in making the concept of fully autonomous vehicles a reality. Technology entities worldwide


have taken heed of this development and are focusing on bringing advanced automotive optical sensor technology to market. A notable example of this is Baraja, which inked an R&D collaboration with autonomous driving leader Tier IV for a new software-defined sensor suite designed for autonomous vehicles. This collaboration, which brought together Baraja’s Spectrum-Scan LIDAR technology with Tier IV’s HDR cameras and sensor fusion software, was geared towards creating a richer and more accurate image of the physical world to enable self-driving cars to make faster and better real- time decisions. Military applications will gain strong


benefits from adaptive optical sensors in the future. While nearly every industrial sector in the modern era has used optical sensing in some capacity, it is still a relatively new concept among technologies that are still in developmental stages. In the military sector, for instance, directed-energy (DE) weapons are being increasingly hailed as the weapons of the future, and are being explored extensively by nations vying for military advantage. High-energy lasers, in particular,


are among the most promising DE weapons being tested in various countries, creating ample opportunities for optical sensor industry growth, especially from the image sensor segment, which is set to register an 11% CAGR through 2026, as per GMI estimates. The United Kingdom is an example


of this: in October 2021, the nation’s military commenced testing for a new high-energy laser weapon system (HELWS) from Raytheon Technologies, designed to eliminate rogue drones with the help of high-precision sensing technologies for better


The view from the driver’s seat


accuracy. The DE weapon system, which involved the embedding of a laser in an EO-IT (electro-optical and infrared sensor), is a testament to the nation’s plan to invest almost US$9 million in R&D for the development of high-precision weaponry for its armed forces over the next four years. The ability of adaptive optical


sensors to enhance image resolution in HEL (high energy laser) systems is also a major reason why optical sensing technology is gaining popularity. In recognition of this, in March 2021, Intevac Photonics announced that it had been awarded a development contract worth almost US$1.8 million from the US Government’s Joint Directed Energy Transition Office. As part of this contract, the firm was tasked with developing a Gated SWIR sensor for HEL adaptive optics and 2D fine-tracking system applications, leveraging its expertise in LIVAR camera technology and its adaptive optics sensor technology.


CHARTING EVOLUTION IN THE INDUSTRY Since its rise to prominence in the 1960s, the optical sensor industry has undergone several evolutions to become one of the most critical technologies in the modern industrial


ecosystem. In recent years, market players are becoming attuned to this change and engaging in persistent research and development activities to bring technologically advanced sensing technologies into the world. Take 3D imaging, for instance,


which is a driving force in several consumer and industrial applications, and has become a key area of interest for projects such as VIZTA. Funded by the European Union, the VIZTA project was aimed at developing novel and sophisticated laser and optical sensor sources for long- and short-range 3D imaging, with an application scope spanning across diverse fields from automotive to smart buildings to industry 4.0. Industry pioneers such as


STMicroelectronics have also made tremendous strides in advanced optical sensor technology development. In June 2021, for example, the company joined hands with Metalenz in a co-development and license agreement for a breakthrough meta-optics technology, designed to transform optical sensing across myriad application sectors including consumer devices and more, paving the way for the next generation of smart devices over the coming years. ●


www.engineerlive.com 41


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44