TRW Introduces New Camera Technologies

Safety systems manufacturer TRW Automotive Holdings have launched their new advanced camera technologies that provide a real-time picture of the vehicle environment.

The forward-looking camera options can be adapted for the automakers according to their needs, from Lane Keeping Assist / Lane Guidance systems offering lane and road edge detection, to functions such as object- and traffic sign recognition and pedestrian protection.

The system features an integrated processor and imager in a size small enough to fit in a rear view mirror mount. Additional sensor can also be integrated to enable, for example, functions such as automatic rain sensing wipers and automatic HVAC control for windshield defogging. The system therefore aims to eliminate the need of multiple independent sensors.

According to TRW, forward collision warning can also be based on camera technology. The company therefore is currently developing a system using a forward-looking monocular camera with object recognition capability.

Camera technology is also an integral part of highly advanced safety systems such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), which works alongside a radar device. However, both sensors need to independently verify the criticality of a foreseeable crash and confirm that AEB should be deployed.

"Seeing the environment in front, behind and at the side of the vehicle provides a whole new realm of safety system capabilities that include collision warning and mitigation systems, blind spot detection, and back-over warning to name only a few," said Martin Thoone, vice president of TRW Electronics Engineering, in a statement for the press.

"And when used together with other sensors such as radar the confidence level of making complex, split-second safety decisions can be enhanced through data fusion that combines the information to help ensure that the decision taken is the right one at the right time," he added.