The age of the self-driving vehicle is upon us! How do automotive semiconductor technologies ensure our safety?

The age of the self-driving vehicle is upon us. Not long ago, vehicles driving themselves were the stuff of science fiction. A variety of self-driving vehicle-related technologies were showcased at last months’ Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020, the world’s largest IT and home appliances trade show. With (conditional) autonomous vehicles set to come to the Korea market in July of this year, it won’t be long until we find ourselves driving alongside them. With various state-of-the-art IT technologies being incorporated into the motor vehicle, the importance of automotive semiconductors is rising fast. Automotive semiconductors play a key role in making driving safer and more convenient, as we’ll soon see. Thousands of chips to a car: the age of the self-driving vehicle

Automotive semiconductors are essential to vehicle safety. Semiconductors sense the environment inside and outside a vehicle through sensors and supply the respective devices in the vehicle with the data they need. According to ‘Automotive Semiconductor Technology and Domestic Strategy’ by the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology SoC Platform Center, approximately 300 semiconductor chips find their way into the average vehicle. But with advances in technology and the introduction of AI and 5G technologies into our cars, the demand for semiconductors has increased further. It is forecast that by 2022, when we will see the first true level 3 (conditional autonomous) and higher self-driving vehicles on the streets, these vehicles will need somewhere around 2,000 semiconductor chips a piece. Semiconductors for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS): protecting drivers and pedestrians

ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) is a blanket term for driver assistance systems based on electronic control technology. Examples include FCW (Forward Collision Warning) which warns against collision with vehicles ahead, FCA (Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist), which actively helps cars avoid collision, LDW (Lane Departure Warning), which alerts us when we waver off course, and LKA (Lane Keeping Assist) which actively keeps us driving between the lines. Automotive semiconductors play a critical role in ADAS as well. Automotive processors equipped with NPUs (neural processing units) for AI processing are the brains of these ADAS systems, analyzing signals from on-board sensors to recognize lane markings and obstacles. ‘Sensors’: a second set of eyes for the driver

Image sensors, which convert light into electric signals, are also one of the core automotive semiconductor technologies that guarantee our safety in the autonomous vehicle age. These image sensors are mounted on the front, rear, and sides of autonomous vehicles to function as their ‘eyes.’ Working in coordination with ADAS systems, they help keep the vehicle from colliding with outside obstacles. Samsung launched the brand ISOCELL Auto for automotive image sensors in October 2018 in anticipation of the next-generation mobility era. ISOCELL Auto image sensors are based in small part on smart phone image sensor technology. ISOCELL technology minimizes interpixel interference and allows high-quality images to be created using small pixel size. This improves visibility of the road and the ever-changing environment around a vehicle, and allows objects and obstacles to be recognized more precisely. For example, even in situations involving sudden changes in brightness, such as when the vehicle emerges from a tunnel, ISOCELL sensors maintain their focus and help to prevent potential accidents. Safe, convenient, and fun: semiconductors for ‘infotainment (IVI) systems’

The ability of vehicles to self-drive means that your car now also serves as a living space. Connecting the vehicle using 5G communication networks improves pedestrian safety and enhances convenience for the driver. Semiconductor technology helps ‘IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) systems’ provide the driver with a range of vehicle operation-related information, entertainment, and convenience features. The Samsung Exynos Auto V series of automotive semiconductors for next-generation IVI systems is capable providing real-time data to assist and enable the driver. Meanwhile, the Exynos V9 is a high-performance, low-power processor for premium infotainment systems, launched last year. The Exynos Auto V9 features a neural processing unit that determines the driver’s situation based on voice, facial expression, and actions, and provides the information that the driver needs in real time. The chip comes with a separate region supporting ‘ASIL-B’ (automotive safety integrity level) requirements to prevent potential system malfunction during vehicle operation and further enhance safety. We’ve taken a look at some semiconductor technologies which help self-driving vehicles be safer and more convenient. The automotive semiconductor market is a fiercely contested and innovative one, with all of the world’s leading semiconductor firms competing. Some said this year’s CES2020 was a motor show more than anything else. Automotive semiconductors need to withstand extreme weather conditions and physical punishment while also being reliable and technologically advanced for driver safety. Soon we’ll all be driven around by our own self-driving vehicles. As you sit there and marvel as your car drives itself, remember all the Samsung semiconductor technology that’s making the magic possible!