Sony developing new self-driving sensors

Sony is working on new sensors for self-driving that it claims use 70% less electricity.

The sensors would help significantly extend the range of electric vehicles with autonomous capabilities.

According to a report in Nikkei Asia, they will be made by Sony Semiconductor Solutions and be paired with software developed by Japanese start-up Tier IV.

The companies aim to deliver Level 4 tech, as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, by 2030. This means that the car drives itself, with no requirement for human intervention.

To achieve Level 4, autonomous vehicles (AVs) need a wide array of hardware, including sensors and cameras, that transmit massive amounts of data, requiring vast amounts of power.

When combined with the power drain from the likes of air-conditioning and other equipment, this can really eat into the potential range of electric vehicles.

Sony is hoping to reduce electricity usage via edge computing, with as much data as possible processed through artificial intelligence-equipped sensors and software on the vehicles themselves, rather than being transmitted to external networks.

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