Wideye, the AGC Group scaleup specialising in sensor integration solutions for self-driving vehicles, will be at IAA Mobility (Munich, 5-8 September 2023), where it will showcase glass innovations for the efficient, reliable and aesthetic integration of optical sensors for ADAS and Autonomous Driving applications.

The industry's interest in mounting sensors at multiple locations on the vehicle continues to grow as the market increasingly focuses on ensuring safety for drivers while accelerating the race towards autonomy and self-driving cars. In this context, 360° detection coverage is critically important and different mounting architectures are being developed. Wideye’s concept car will be fitted with five prototypes, proving its ability to address the challenges of mounting sensors around the vehicle. In so doing, Wideye will demonstrate how the scaleup is leveraging its momentum and demonstrate how its glass solutions are the perfect fit for higher levels of autonomous driving.

The windshield was the first integration Wideye worked with back in 2016, believing it to be the best site for onboard integration. The high, central position of the sensors behind the windshield provides a commanding vantage point, ideal for highway pilot and traffic jam pilot functions. Mounting sensors behind the existing glass automatically ensures they are protected and does not affect aesthetics. This trend may be widely adopted by the market, with the first mass production vehicles featuring windshield-mounted LiDAR due to hit the market as early as 2024. Wideye will present the functional co-integration of LiDAR with three camera heads, rain sensors, mirrors and even a fan cooling system, enabling smooth integration in a compact form factor.

With the rooftop mount set to go increasingly mainstream in the near term thanks to its elevated position, Wideye will be delighted to show how it successfully integrated a LiDAR unit in this location by encapsulating it in an all-glass roof, proving that this kind of integration delivers the perfect compromise between performance and design.

The B-pillar is an area where OEMs are looking to combine functions: merging ADAS and HMI applications by mounting cameras and LiDAR sensors at the same location. In view of the optical, reliability, durability and robustness requirements demanded by the industry, glass is the perfect material for B-pillars – and Wideye will show how mounting sensors in this location works in real life.

Visitors to the show will see that a sensor can be mounted discreetly on the fender of any vehicle without compromising on aesthetics. Glass is the ideal material, enabling carmakers to fully customise the look of their vehicles while ensuring that sensors can perform their primary function of detecting objects.

The bumper is the traditional home for sensors of all kinds (ultras sonic, radar, LiDAR, etc.). Carmakers can still use this location to leverage their current system architecture and aesthetics. At IAA Mobility, Wideye will demonstrate the superior quality of its glass when used in LiDAR housings located in the grill or bumper.

Growing industry interest in optical sensor integrations has seen Wideye nominated for five business awards for mass production programmes in different product segments, such as windshield-mounted LiDAR, LiDAR glass covers and trim for roofline mounting. “This confirms Wideye’s strategic and international path as a pioneering premium brand for optical glass sensor integration. Looking beyond the ambitious vision that drives our business, we are proud that industrialisation is now underway, with the manufacturing division growing and the first production lines coming on stream and receiving customer validation. All this clearly demonstrates Wideye's ability to provide and deliver global leadership", says Wideye CEO Quentin Fraselle.

With Wideye’s efficient development process and strong business relationships and partnerships, our ambition remains to meet customer expectations and anticipate sensor integration trends. We strongly invite the ecosystem to help us address the challenges raised by ADAS/Autonomous Driving by visiting our booth in Hall 1 (C24).

About Wideye^® by AGC

Wideye^® by AGC, a corporate scaleup focusing on autonomous vehicle ecosystems, was launched by Tokyo-based AGC Group, a world-leading supplier of flat, automotive and display glass, chemicals and other high-tech materials and components. Wideye is backed by AGC Automotive Europe, AGC Group’s European automotive glass branch, which specialises in the production of glazing solutions for carmakers.

Since its launch in 2016, Wideye has focused on enabling ADAS deployment and making fully autonomous vehicles a reality. 

Through comprehensive R&D and partnerships with sensor companies, Wideye has developed the know-how to deliver 360° sensor integration from the early development stage up through mass production and is focusing its innovative services and products on sensor suppliers, Tier 1 automotive suppliers and OEMs by working in close collaboration with them.  Wideye is harnessing its broad ecosystem to help its customers design, prototype and industrialise the perfect integration solutions for their optical sensor modules, such as LiDAR and cameras.

For more information visit www.wideye.vision or join us on LinkedIn.