September 27, 2004 — BAE Systems, Celoxica, Ltd. and Medius, Inc. have announced a novel software approach to sensor integration that allows for optimized performance and dramatic cost reduction for cruise control, collision avoidance and other automotive safety systems. Aimed at automotive-electronics system designers, the technology is delivered through the successful completion of release 2.0 in the companies’ "sensor fusion" technology demonstrator series.

Release 2.0 showcases the combined efforts of the three companies in the form of a "self-aligning intelligent sensor" that can automatically line up with the frame of reference of the vehicle it is attached to (example sensors include; radar, lidar and cameras). This translates to a system that minimizes factory alignment issues, avoiding the need for complex, expensive and time consuming manual tasks when the system is first installed. Furthermore, the system stays accurate for its lifetime, since disturbances under normal operating conditions that may misalign the sensor are automatically detected and intelligently corrected.

Automotive sensor systems are increasing in complexity as functionality becomes more demanding; radar, lidar, ultrasound and video components are typically used to provide the vehicle with a view of what is happening around it. This "situational awareness" picture needs to be both comprehensive and accurate – take adaptive cruise control (ACC) as an example. Forward looking ranging sensors must look ahead up to 200m in order to anticipate the actions of the vehicles in front. At this range, even very small alignment errors can correlate to errors greater than the width of the lane – enough to cause massive confusion as the device may mis-read street furniture, bridges or oncoming traffic as valid signals.

What is needed is a solution that will allow sensors to align and lock-on to the axes of the vehicle, and maintain lock under software control. This powerful feature allows new levels of trust and confidence in safety systems like collision avoidance and pre-crash.

All three organizations have come together and contributed complementary skills. BAE Systems brought extensive background in avionics development, where sensor fusion techniques have been validated and deployed to great effect over many years. Medius brought specific IPR and integration skills in the translation of such techniques into the automotive context. Celoxica provided the rapid prototyping and production design environment through its DK Design Suite of system design tools. The system was built, tested and installed in a vehicle within 90 days, and now provides a readily reconfigurable engine that can be used by OEMs.

"This demonstration validates the proposition that solutions developed for aerospace can solve problems that the automotive industry is just starting to experience, commented Bob Flint, director of ventures at BAE Systems. "These software techniques are well-established and proven in avionics. They offer a resilient and cost-effective way of fixing the complexity and cost issues in emergent car sensor systems. I’m really excited about the potential here."

"A key aspect of this successful partnership is Medius’ role as a bridge from aerospace technologies to automotive applications," said Dan Preston, CEO of Medius. "The automotive industry is not interested in long term research projects per se, what they desire are rapid implementations for evaluation and this product underscores that understanding."