Hanwha Systems Accelerates Development of Autonomous Driving Core Technology 'Night Vision'

[Asia Economy Reporter Su-yeon Woo] Hanwha Systems is embarking on the development of 'Night Vision (thermal imaging camera),' a core technology that will accelerate the era of autonomous driving.

Hanwha Systems announced on the 28th that it has been selected as the preferred negotiator for the project "Development of a thermal imaging fusion-type 3D camera technology capable of day and night response," participating in a consortium led by the leading automotive electronics company ILAAMS. This project is the only domestic initiative to develop night vision, an essential sensor for autonomous vehicles.

The selected consortium will develop a vehicle thermal imaging fusion-type 3D camera that integrates daytime cameras and thermal cameras by January 2025. The goal is to develop a high-performance fusion camera that can accurately recognize objects over 250 meters away by using AI-based deep learning technology to identify various obstacles in Level 4 autonomous driving environments.

Hanwha Systems plans to apply the 'Quantum Red' intelligent thermal imaging engine module technology, launched last year, to develop an XGA-grade (1024*768 pixels) night vision system. This is the highest image quality among domestic thermal imaging cameras. Notably, Quantum Red uses the world's first system-on-chip (SoC) certified with the automotive component reliability evaluation standard 'AEC-Q100,' enabling the future supply of night vision optimized for autonomous vehicles.

Hanwha Systems' intelligent thermal imaging engine module Quantum Red product / Photo by Hanwha Systems

According to the French market research firm Yole D?veloppement, the global thermal imaging camera market grew by 76% compared to the previous year, with night vision showing an 18% sales growth. Additionally, the autonomous vehicle market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 41%, reaching approximately $1.1204 trillion (about 1,232 trillion KRW) by 2035.

The core of autonomous driving technology lies in optimal judgment and operation through accurate perception. Night vision detects and identifies people and animals using long-range infrared sensors in driving conditions where visual identification is difficult, such as at night or in fog. It can detect objects at distances of over 100 meters, the minimum distance required for emergency braking, helping to prevent accidents in advance.

Hanwha Systems has held over 90% of the domestic defense thermal imaging camera market share for the past 40 years by developing and supplying surveillance reconnaissance electro-optical equipment, tank and armored vehicle night vision, day and night scopes, and observation devices. Recently, it successfully localized the EO TGP (Electro-Optical Targeting Pod) and IRST (Infrared Search and Track) systems for the KF-21 Boramae, the first domestically produced fighter jet, reaffirming its position as the top technology leader in Korea.

Kim Yeon-cheol, CEO of Hanwha Systems, stated, "Based on world-class technology that developed the first domestic thermal imaging camera, we will strive for the full-fledged blossoming of the domestic night vision industry."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.