FotoNation Preps Camera Systems for Autonomous Vehicles

Burney Simpson

FotoNation has partnered with Japanese automotive camera supplier Kyocera to develop and supply surround-view and rear-view camera systems that auto OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers can install in autonomous vehicles.

San Jose, Calif.-based FotoNation is a provider of computational imaging vision systems like Park Assist and 360 surround view for automated vehicles.

Japan-based Kyocera is an international supplier of electronic components, semiconductor packages, mobile phones, and other products. It reported net sales of $12.7 billion in its fiscal year ending in March.

Kyocera’s rear-view camera modules are widely used by auto OEMs.

“This (partnership) will jump start making these cameras more intelligent,” said Sumat Mehra, FotoNation’s senior vice president of marketing and business development.

Surround-view, or e-mirror, systems garnered publicity at this year’s CES show when BMW displayed a prototype vehicle with the technology (See “CES 16-Ford’s Plucky LiDAR, BMW’s Mirror, GENIVI’s New Member”).

The systems eliminate the need for side-view mirrors, and reduce the aerodynamic drag they cause. However, current federal rules require the mirrors.

The coming of driverless vehicles is building the demand for the camera systems the two partners plan to market. Tessera, FotoNation’s parent, told analysts in January that the total market for driver monitoring and rear/surround view technology could reach $1.3 billion.

FotoNation’s Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) use driver identification and biometric technology to detect human faces, eyes, irises, smiles, blinks and head/eye movements.

It has already compiled a library of about 20 million images, said Mehra.

Autonomous vehicles will need this combination of image technology and image library to both monitor driver behavior and to watch the road, he said.

“This makes sense from an insurance perspective,” said Mehra. “Is the driver attentive, is he looking at his phone? … These are all things we will be required to know in the future.”

Mehra says products from the partnership could be launched in the 2019-2020 timeframe. That is a bit behind the May 2018 deadline for all new vehicles in the U.S. under 10,000 pounds to have rear-view cameras.