Skip to main content

Swedish project aims to increase traffic safety with new radar technology

To help achieve the Swedish Transportation Agency’s ‘Nollvisionen’ (zero traffic-related fatalities) and the EU’s traffic safety goal for 2020, Swedish companies Denso, Qamcom, Amparo Solutions and Acreo Swedish ICT are jointly developing the next generation of radar sensors for improved traffic safety. The 79 GHz UWB Imaging Radar Sensor project claims the market for automotive radar sensors for ADAS is growing rapidly every year, but today’s systems that utilise the 24 GHz and 77GHz bands have clear ba
October 9, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
To help achieve the Swedish Transportation Agency’s ‘Nollvisionen’ (zero traffic-related fatalities) and the EU’s traffic safety goal for 2020, Swedish companies Denso, Qamcom, Amparo Solutions and Acreo Swedish ICT are jointly developing the next generation of radar sensors for improved traffic safety.

The 79 GHz UWB Imaging Radar Sensor project claims the market for automotive radar sensors for ADAS is growing rapidly every year, but today’s systems that utilise the 24 GHz and 77GHz bands have clear bandwidth limitations.  Project members aim to develop more effective radar technology.

“A migration to the 79GHz band allows for several advantages, such as increased resolution and the possibility of multiple sensors around the vehicle to utilize the same frequency band,” says project leader Jan-Olov Axelsson, Denso.

Within around six months, Qamcom and Amparo will deliver the first 77GHz radar system for monitoring of level crossings to the Swedish Transportation Agency. These systems are meant primarily to prevent train derailments caused by collisions between trains and vehicles.

“With broadband 79 GHz radar systems, which we will now start to develop, there is the opportunity of a wide range of performance improvements that, among other things, allow for an increased level of pedestrian safety, easier installation and improved interference protection. Such systems are also ideal for many other types of traffic monitoring applications,” says Johan Lassing of Qamcom Technology.

“Another advantage when switching to the higher frequency band is the opportunity to develop a global standard for a multi-function radar sensor that supports all ADAS and ITS applications, from near to far range applications,” says Michael Salter, Acreo Swedish ICT.

A large number of EU countries have approved the use of W-band radar and the USA is also very likely to open the frequency band for additional applications shortly.

Radar sensors, components and systems that work with wider bandwidths at higher frequencies have many advantages. With an increased effective bandwidth radar systems can see further and with increased precision and the ability for identification of obstacles increases significantly. Furthermore, the use of higher frequencies allows for the reduction in the size of microwave components and antennas. The new technology is therefore expected eventually to be less expensive than today’s systems.

Related Content

  • Don’t understand network infrastructure? Don’t worry
    November 1, 2021
    Rapid changes in technology mean ITS managers now need to understand network infrastructure as well as electrical engineering, says EtherWan’s Jim Toepper. But don’t worry, help is at hand…
  • Do satellites provide a heavenly view of tolling’s future?
    December 16, 2014
    Satellite-based tolling opens up new options for authorities and can be integrated with DSRC systems as David Crawford discovers. As the proud custodian of the European Union (EU)’s longest road network covered by a single (truck) charging scheme – and the only one to include all major roads - Slovakia has become the continent’s poster-nation for the virtues of GNSS/CN (Global Navigation Satellite System/Cellular Network)-based tolling. It is also proved to be a very fast implementer. Speaking at the 2014 I
  • Collaborations with technology providers offer European automotive OEMs new growth opportunities
    January 3, 2017
    Improvements in advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) sensors are driving automation features in original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vehicles, according to Frost & Sullivan’s new research, Market Analysis of Premium European OEMs ADAS and Automated Driving Strategies. By collaborating with leading technology providers in the autonomous driving space, OEMs have an opportunity to transform into mobility service providers and introduce levels 4 and 5 autonomous cars earlier than expected. With several
  • Video developments in automatic incident detection
    May 22, 2012
    David Crawford reviews technological progress with automatic incident detection Highway safety problems are likely to intensify given recent predictions of future traffic growth across the world. In the United States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that currently over 30,000 deaths and 1.5 million injuries occur as the result of accidents on the nation’s roads each year. These figures will increase with the number of kilometres travelled each year in the US expected to gr