What is the technology of American cameras?

I still remember that Intel's Mobileye released a new technology at the CES scene in North America in June 5438+10, and showed a self-driving video on the spot.

The self-driving demonstration car in this video has achieved such difficult actions as crossing the road without traffic lights, automatically planning roads and automatically avoiding pedestrians. But unlike other autonomous driving, this car does not use lidar, but is equipped with 12 cameras.

We think it is necessary to use lidar to achieve L4-level automatic driving, because the camera is too limited. However, Mobileye's solution relies on their latest EyeQ5 chip, and then through deep learning processing of 2D images taken by multiple cameras, 3D models are generated, thus providing the required environmental information for autonomous driving decision.

Simply put, relying on the powerful computing power of algorithms and chips, the 2D images output by multiple cameras are "upgraded" to 3D images to realize automatic driving.

So what are the benefits of not using lidar? Just to be cheap, because lidar is very expensive. Therefore, Tesla Musk has always supported their cars to achieve automatic driving without lidar, using only one camera.

Having said that, all major automobile manufacturers and parts suppliers including Bosch have clearly pointed out that L4-class automatic driving must be realized by using lidar. The key reason is redundancy.

To put it bluntly, it is for security and redundancy. Many traditional automobile brands, including Bosch, regard laser as the third eye: radar, camera and laser radar complement each other to provide accurate and reliable road information for drivers.

But what we are going to talk about next is a brand-new situation.

It seems that the major automobile manufacturers and parts manufacturers are not in a hurry to discuss whether the L4-class autopilot uses lidar, because L4-class autopilot is still quite far away from us. Even if you change your mind, the magnitude of L4 may not be realized in a short time.

On the other hand, L2+ and L3 assisted driving technology with smart cameras as the mainstream is developing rapidly. In the past, it took several multi-cameras and millimeter-wave radars to achieve the same function. Now a camera+algorithm is enough.

Bosch Third Generation Multifunctional Camera

Bosch Monocular smart cameras Technology

For example, last June165438+1October, Bosch showed us a monocular smart camera technology, which can realize the AEB active braking function of L2-level assisted driving, but this function was originally judged by millimeter-wave radar+camera and even binocular camera.

But when it comes to camera experts among auto parts suppliers, Magna is one of the best. In an interview with a Magna smart camera factory in Detroit, USA, Magna told our media that in the future, visual cameras will be used more to solve the positioning problem, because they are very strong in this respect and the cost is lower.

A week ago, Magna announced that the world's first driver assistance system based on EyeQ5 had been launched! And also stressed: "A European luxury car manufacturer will take the lead in using this new generation of camera-based driver assistance system on multiple models."

Magna's Gen5 system is based on Mobileye? EyeQ5 and camera system, and adopt a? "Single box" packaging scheme-This is the first system in the industry to include the forward-looking camera and related software in one component.

The advantage of this is that it can reduce the cost, simplify the assembly process and match with different types of vehicles more easily. Gen5 system will provide drivers with advanced driving assistance functions, such as adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection.

The system combines Magna's expertise in electronics and cameras. This camera uses 120-degree optical path with 8 million pixels, which is similar to Mobileye? EyeQ5' s system-on-a-chip (SoC) image processing technology (the most advanced Weilai ES6 and Guangzhou Automobile New Energy Aion? S only uses EyeQ4 chip).

Erez Dagan (Erez? Dagan) said: "Since 2007, we have been working with Magna to develop camera-based ADAS." The 12 camera that Mobileye showed at CES at the beginning of the year was also from Magna. Is this understandable?

At present, Magna's driver assistance system (ADAS) has been applied to more than 250 models on the market.

Magna L4 self-driving demonstration car

So who is the "European luxury car manufacturer"? Magna will obviously keep secrets for its customers, but according to the cooperative relationship between Magna and BBA, there are still 20 19? When Mobileye introduced the information of EyeQ5 chip at CES, it showed the customized products of self-driving vehicles jointly launched by BMW and Amber in 20021year.

Therefore, the first user of Magna's Gen5 system is probably BMW.

Pure electric production 202 1? The BMW iX will be equipped with the latest assisted driving technology.

This is an interesting phenomenon. On the one hand, everyone is saying that L4 automatic driving must be equipped with lidar, but it is hard to say when L4 automatic driving can be realized. On the contrary, the technology based on camera and chip is developing rapidly, and it is very likely that the camera will dominate all L4 in the future.

Of course, it is hard to say who will lead the sensor technology in the future. Technology manufacturers headed by Huawei also mentioned that the cost of lidar can be greatly reduced. If there is a cheap lidar in the future, it will smell good. After all, Mobileye? EyeQ5 is not cheap either.

This article comes from car home, the author of the car manufacturer, and does not represent car home's position.