Fujitsu Announces 3D Object Detection For Car Radars

By Wolfgang Gruener
published

Despite the fact that virtually all luxury vehicles can be ordered with forward collision warning systems that typically use object detection via radar or infrared laser sensor, the underlying technology is in its nascent stages and full of caveats.

A full view coverage is one problem, and another is a reliable detection of the type of object that triggers a collision warning.

Fujitsu's sensor development company, Fujitsu Ten, said that it is working on a 3D Electronic Scan Millimeter Wave Radar that uses 77 GHz millimeter-wave radars to enable the detection and identification of objects in their three dimensions. This new scanner promises to detect objects "above and below" more reliably. For example, it could identify traffic signs or falling objects, which could provide more information to add to crash protection system.

Traffic sign detection is not new and can be purchased especially in most European cars (in Europe) today. However, the promise is that such a system will be able to actually identify the nature of an object, such as persons, other cars or any stationary object.

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Wolfgang Gruener
Topics
Cars
Fujitsu
11 Comments Comment from the forums
  • Thomas Creel
    Would be kind of useful around my ball hitch but other than that there is no way I am trusting anything going at +5MPH!
    Reply
  • abbadon_34
    Ushing in another generation who drives worse than the previous due to reliance on technology. It all started with the automatic
    Reply
  • alidan
    abbadon_34Ushing in another generation who drives worse than the previous due to reliance on technology. It all started with the automatic
    so i take it that you have a car that is so low to the ground that nothing behind you could ever be in a blind spot?

    this would be great for any big cat in a home with pets or kids.
    Reply
  • Parsian
    just build an AESA/SAR systems into the car. Cant do it? hire Raytheon systems to do it at the price of an arm, a leg, a wife and children.
    Reply
  • sacre
    abbadon_34Ushing in another generation who drives worse than the previous due to reliance on technology. It all started with the automatic
    Believe it or not, because of this technology accidents have been dropping in percentage. The more we make cars safe, the better.

    I would much rather have automated vehicles then have some short tempered guy driving in the morning without his coffee, screaming and yelling at all the vehicles around him for not "Going fast enough".

    On a serious note though, driving is driving. Whether you drive an old ford standard, or a 2013 ford automatic, they both require the ability to focus on the road and park.

    So I fail to see why you're complaining.
    Reply
  • merikafyeah
    abbadon_34Ushing in another generation who drives worse than the previous due to reliance on technology. It all started with the automaticAutomatic transmission has its pros and cons, the same with automatic drill vs manual drill, or nail gun vs hammer and nail, but it's not the issue. The same with anti-lock brakes. Only idiots or people who don't know what anti-lock brakes are would say that they're a bad thing. In what universe would being able to maneuver your car while braking be a bad thing? That's what anti-lock brakes allows you to do.

    Just like with computers, 90% of the time the problem is the user. Cars or computers are just tools, and since the dawn of man problems have always been caused by lack of proper discipline. Like, how many people have died because texting while driving, or drunk drivers? I could take the easy route and say "it all started with alcohol" or "it all started with cell phones", but that's just shifting focus from the real problem.
    Reply
  • freggo
    sacreBelieve it or not, because of this technology accidents have been dropping in percentage. The more we make cars safe, the better.
    Better training... hell, the US has basically no driver's training !
    Germany's Autobahn, no speed limit... has a lower fatality rate then the I-95 in Florida.
    Of course they have some serious mandatory drivers training over there and even more serious mandatory car inspections every other year.

    We do not need more gadgets that make people feel complacent (and which they typically do not know how to use in the first place), we need to show them how to drive a damn car properly at speed.
    Reply
  • cesthree
    This might provide some insight as to what is going on. The whole video is a must watch, but you can see the applications of the technology at 8:10. Have fun!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoHeWgLvlXI&feature=related
    Reply
  • DroKing
    The company who ass raped the original company aka Kodak. Fujitsu deserve no praise or respect.
    Reply
  • house70
    "Seeing" the objects does not seem to be an issue; there are detectors that do just that fine.
    "Recognizing" the object AND making a real-time decision about it is what will take a good while to see properly implemented. Google's cars are a good start, but this is about high-speed collision prevention using a system that has to do what normal human brains do in the same amount of time or less.
    Reply