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| An LG Innotek employee poses with the company's in-vehicle radar module, Tuesday. Courtesy of LG Innotek |
By Baek Byung-yeul
LG Innotek developed an in-cabin radar module that can detect passengers inside a car as part of its efforts to capitalize on the fast-growing automotive sensing business, the company said, Tuesday.
The in-cabin radar module is a component that detects a passenger's presence or movement using radio waves.
It is made by combining radar chips, antennas and communication chips on a substrate and is usually mounted on the ceiling by the second row of seats or on the side of the rear-view mirror.
The product has been used mainly for child presence detection and preventing vehicle theft. LG Innotek explained that the demand for the sensing equipment is soaring with more countries including Korea asking carmakers to make use of the sensors mandatory.
"In Korea, cars that carry children must install the in-cabin sensors. Europe plans to add a child boarding detection feature test when granting a sales license to new cars from 2023. The United States plans to make it mandatory to install a child boarding detection function to prevent accidents involving infants from 2025," a company spokesperson said.
Among the various kinds of in-cabin sensing products, LG Innotek said its in-cabin radar module is best-in-class because it has a 40-percent higher resolution than other products, which means LG Innotek's product can more accurately distinguish objects. Its module is also 30 percent faster than other products.
"The radar can accurately detect passenger presence even if there are objects present such as clothes and blankets. As it uses radio waves, there is no worry about privacy infringement. Also, only one or two radar modules are required to be installed to detect while more than five pressure sensors or ultrasonic sensors are needed," the official added.
LG Innotek added that its radar module is also useful for self-driving cars as it can play various roles in lieu of the driver such as detecting whether passengers fasten their seatbelts or get out of the car.
"Though existing products have difficulties in accurately distinguishing objects, LG Innotek was able to overcome this limitation," Yoo Byaeng-kuk, the vice president of the Automotive Components & Electronics Business Unit at LG Innotek, said.
"We expect that our in-cabin radar module will have an impact on the market. We will continue to introduce car components for use in future cars that can innovate customer experiences and advance the era of autonomous driving," Yoo added.
