Modern driver assistance and autonomous driving systems must not only detect objects, but also accurately understand their position, speed, and trajectory.
Cameras provide detailed visual information, but they depend on lighting conditions and can be affected by dirt, precipitation, and weather. Ultrasonic sensors are effective at short ranges, but are not suitable for monitoring the road environment at speed.
For safe driving, a vehicle needs a sensor that operates reliably at night, in fog, rain, snow, dust, and complex traffic conditions.
Automotive radar solves this problem by measuring the distance to objects, their relative speed, and direction of movement, and transmitting this data to the vehicle control system.