In-Cabin Camera Systems

The concept of having cameras inside the vehicle — mounted in the dashboard, on the steering column, or integrated into the rear-view mirror — is not new. Early generations of these camera modules were predominantly employed in the form of driver monitoring systems (DMS), also known as driver attention monitors, to observe the driver’s face looking for drowsiness (the closing of the eyes) or inattention (the driver looking at something other than the road or instrument console for more than a fraction of a second). If such a situation were to arise, the system could alert the driver by means of flashing lights, warning sounds, or haptic feedback technologies. Since these early systems were interested only in the driver, their resolution and field of view (FOV) could be limited.

TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

Today’s automotive industry is increasingly focusing on delivering safer and more personalized transportation experiences for both drivers and passengers. In turn, this demands the use of advanced camera modules that are physically small and unobtrusive while providing the high-fidelity and high-resolution imagery demanded by today’s state-of-the-art AI/ML applications. In order to achieve these features, such camera modules must feature high-precision wide-angle lenses that can cover the entire cabin, and these lenses must be supported by high-resolution sensors with a large dynamic range that — in conjunction with appropriate image processing algorithms — are capable of handling the wide variety of natural and artificial lighting conditions that may be found in automobiles throughout the day and night.

In the same way that multiple cameras are now common outside the vehicle, there is a current trend for multiple cameras to make their way into the cabin. In addition to one or more cameras mounted in the dashboard, on the steering column, or integrated into the rear-view mirror, it may not be long before a camera is also mounted near the light in the center of the ceiling, thereby providing a bird’s eye view of the cabin’s interior.

ln-Cabin Cameras are Ready
and Waiting for their Al/ML Counterparts

Cameras intended for use in automobile cabins must be small and unobtrusive, capable of handling a wide range of lighting conditions, all while providing the hiqh-fidelity and high-resolution images and videostreams demanded by AI/ML applications.

Dewarped Image

Immervision is engaging with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in the automotive industry to help them bring state-of-the-art machine vision to cars and other vehicles. Starting with the application requirements, the multidisciplinary team of scientists, optical designers, and image processing engineers in Immervision’s Innovation Lab collaborate with the customer to design a complete camera system — lens assembly, sensor, silicon, and image processing algorithms — that provides the greatest number of the highest quality pixels that precisely address the requirements of the specified application.

In the case of in-cabin camera systems, Immervision’s camera modules can be used in conjunction with the automotive manufacturer’s AI/ML systems to provide a wide range of safety capabilities and to offer more personalized transportation experiences for both drivers and passengers.

The future is now! Using Immervision’s in-cabin camera systems, automotive manufacturers are limited only by their imaginations.

Let’s Start Collaborating Together

We really are very good at what we do. We’ve successfully designed thousands of vision systems of our own and on behalf of our clients. Our signature results-oriented approach is rooted in tight collaboration between your team and our multidisciplinary scientists, optical designers, and image processing engineers, thereby enhancing your ideas, accelerating your project, and ensuring a successful outcome that exceeds your expectations.

Wherever you are in your development, from initial planning to early prototyping to pre-production to full production, we would love to work with you on your unique in-cabin automotive camera vision system, so give us a call today and let’s start collaborating together!