Page 26 - TTG-Taiwan Transportation Equipment Guide 2024-04 Edition

24
Industry News

Navigating The Road Ahead vigating The Road Ahead
Na

with Autonomous Techutonomous Tech
with A

By Andrew Hsu
With the growing popularity of the trend Electronic Co., Ltd., HPB Optoelectronics Co., Ltd.,
towards liberating human drivers from the steering and LITE-ON Technology Corporation.
wheel during the entire driving process, the
research and development of autonomous driving Similarly, "Lidar" sensors are computationally
technologies have gained heightened attention from intensive and relatively costly as they rely on
governments, industries, and research institutes. transforming environmental data into a point cloud
This phenomenon is particularly evident in recent for detection. While Lidar excels in determining
years, an era marked by unprecedented progress in object distances and providing three-dimensional
the ICT industry. location and intensity data, it struggles with object
classifi cation. Initially utilized in land surveying and
The Eyes and Ears of Tomorrow's Cars interior building scanning, Lidar has since expanded
into various applications.
According to Teng Wan-Chun, the director
of the research and development division at the Another costly sensor is the "radar," prized for
Automotive Research & Testing Center (ARTC), its ability to measure speed and distance. However,
one of the key drivers for advancing tomorrow's radar sensors are sensitive to metallic reflections
autonomous vehicles is Advanced Driver Assistance from objects such as guardrails, railings, and metal
Systems (ADAS). ADAS employs autonomous joints, requiring noise interference reduction to
technology like sensors to detect, recognize, and ensure accuracy. Among the prominent suppliers
track various objects encountered in the driving in the "radar" sensor domain are Cubtek Inc.,
environment. Universal Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (UMEC), Alpha
Networks Inc., and Wistron NeWeb Corp.
Teng outlined the four main types of sensors
currently in use, each with its own advantages and On the other hand, "ultrasound" sensors are
drawbacks. The "camera" sensor, with its extensive suitable for short-range detection and are more
history, off ers a mature technology at a reasonable aff ordable compared to other options. Despite their
price point. However, its reliability diminishes in relatively slow reaction time, ultrasound sensors are
adverse weather conditions, and its recognition widely available in Taiwan and commonly used for
ability is influenced by factors like frame rate and car reversing and parking assistance.
image quality, demanding signifi cant computational
power. Noteworthy contributors to camera sensor To ensure the proper functioning of autonomous
technology in Taiwan include Whetron Electronics driving systems in facing complex road scenarios,
Co., Ltd., oToBrite Electronics, Inc., Chimei Motor Teng emphasized the need to address various