Dec 23 2009
Driven by a combination of lower-cost modules and new applications in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), automotive camera sensor technology is one of the fastest growing sensor technologies in the automotive industry. The Strategy Analytics report, “Automotive Cameras: Parking Systems Drive Demand,” reveals that cumulative annual automotive camera growth is estimated to reach 52 percent between 2009 and 2014.
Current camera systems are mostly devoted to vehicle-reversing applications, and are seen primarily in the Japanese market due to the high penetration of screen-based infotainment and navigation systems. The latest developments clearly point to expanding application opportunities for automotive cameras for various vehicle OEMs and their suppliers.
“Tier One vendors are continuing to develop more camera-reliant ADAS applications,” says Kevin Mak, author of the report and Industry Analyst with the Strategy Analytics Automotive Electronics Service. “The ability of camera players to generate new compact camera modules at lower cost, with increasing levels of performance, enables the development of more safety system applications at reasonable expense for both OEMs and consumers.”
“Furthermore, in new vehicle designs, flat panel display screens are appearing more in primary instrument clusters, center stacks, or even integrated into rear view mirrors, thus making it easier to add image projection from cameras. The Gulbransen Act in the US, and potential mandates in Europe and Japan, will mean greater growth for back-up and blindspot cameras in the mid-term. On-going developments in object distance perception from stereo and Time-Of-Flight cameras may further broaden opportunities for cameras in the longer term.”
Source: http://www.strategyanalytics.com/Default.aspx