Where to put the lidar sensor?
Oct 25, 2022 3:07pm | Catherine Veigel
More and more sensors, actuators and electronics are fighting for the best places in the vehicle. It's still mainly about cameras and radar, but in the medium term lidar sensors will also claim their place in automobiles. But: Where is the ideal position for a lidar sensor?
Ideally, a lidar sensor is located relatively high up in the vehicle, because that's where it can best capture the traffic situation. This speaks for installation directly under the vehicle roof, for example near the rear-view mirror. However, the rain sensor is already there. However, both sensors can be accommodated behind the windshield.
The sensor in the bumper is at risk
Other sensors, such as radar and cameras, are often installed behind the bumper or in the radiator grille. Installation in the housing for the headlights would also be conceivable. These places have various disadvantages. In the event of a collision, the sensor is relatively unprotected in the bumper and also in the radiator grille. The bumper has the task of absorbing the force of an impact and dissipating the energy. A sensor that is installed there would be severely damaged in case of doubt.
The same applies to the radiator grille. The car manufacturer's logo is also located there, in the middle and clearly visible. Manufacturers don't want anything else obscuring the view of the logo. Another disadvantage when installing in the bumper or radiator grille is the position close to the road. There, the sensor is mounted relatively far below, which is why a top view of the traffic situation is not possible.
Another disadvantage is pollution. Mud splashes, dirty water and snow collect at the height of the bumper. In addition, the sensor can ice up there, so that it initially does not work in winter. There are no such problems if the sensor is installed inside the vehicle behind the windshield. The windshield can of course ice up and become dirty, but it can also be cleaned by hand or with a windshield wiper so that the driver can see something.
Keep the sensor clean
It would also be conceivable to mount the sensor on the vehicle roof. From there he has the best view of the road, but he is also exposed to all weather influences such as rain and snow. At the same time, the vehicle design plays a role. An additional structure on the roof not only hinders the aerodynamics, it also doesn't look good. For buyers, aesthetics quickly becomes a criterion for exclusion.
If a car manufacturer decides not to install the lidar sensor inside the vehicle, they will have to have a cleaning system. So he needs more hoses, pumps, tanks for spray water, a heater and so on. These require even more space and additional power.
More and more vehicles are electric, and manufacturers are gradually turning their backs on combustion engines. It is therefore important that the electronics in the vehicle consume as little electricity as possible so that the range is affected as little as possible. A low weight of the individual components is also important here. In this respect, too, it has a positive effect if additional hoses, cables, water tanks, heaters and pumps are not necessary.
Best in the interior
So it all boils down to installing the lidar sensor inside the vehicle near the rear-view mirror. In order for an additional sensor to fit into this limited space, it must not be too large. So the form factor is crucial. For lidar manufacturers, this means they have to pay attention to a small, handy design during development. However, a lidar sensor cannot be arbitrarily small either, the optics need a certain amount of space. Therefore, the electronics must be correspondingly space-saving.
Microvision 's Mavin-DR sensor has a correspondingly small form factor and can be installed anywhere in the vehicle. In addition, it is relatively light, so that it can also be used well in vehicles where weight is important. Its dynamic range, low latency, and high-resolution point cloud make it well suited for high-speed ADAS applications. The technology works best when it is installed as high up in the vehicle as possible, behind the windshield.
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