Innovative car cockpits, seamless connectivity with new services and improved passive safety: 3D depth sensors play a key role in monitoring systems in the vehicle cabin. Infineon Technologies AG, in collaboration with pmdtechnologies ag, has therefore developed the second generation of the REAL3™ automotive image sensor – an ISO26262-complient high resolution 3D image sensor.
The same camera meets all requirements for driver monitoring to detect driver distraction and fatigue. This enables the offering of a driver monitoring system with secure 3D facial recognition using only one ToF camera.
The sensor comes in a 9 x 9 mm² plastic BGA package and offers a VGA system resolution of 640 x 480 pixels with a tiny image circle of 4 mm. This allows lens sizes similar to those known from smartphones, but now also for automotive applications. The high resolution of the REAL3 sensor also makes it suitable for camera applications with a wide field of view, such as complete front-row occupant monitoring systems. The resulting 3D body models enable accurate estimates of occupant size and weight, as well as highly precise passenger and seat position data, which is key information for intelligent airbag deployment and restraint systems. In addition to its small size, the single-chip solution is qualified to AEC-Q100 Grade 2 and is the first of its kind being developed according to the ISO26262 (ASIL-B) standard.
Besides safety critical applications, the 3D data allows for comfort features such as gesture control or intuitive interior lighting that follows passengers’ movements. Additionally, the imager might be used in environmental perception scenarios as a Flash-LiDAR in the automotive space and – based on the safety conformity.
