Driver and Passenger Monitoring with a Single Camera
Module Size Minimized Using 'Wedge Bonding' Technique
Enhanced Space Utilization and Design Freedom
Strengthening Vehicle Sensing Solution Lineup
"Fostering a 2 Trillion Won Business by 2030"
LG Innotek announced on the 17th that it has developed a 'high-performance in-cabin (In-Cabin) camera module for vehicles' equipped with a 5-megapixel RGB (Red·Green·Blue)-IR (Infrared) dual-use sensor.
LG Innotek employees are showcasing the 'High-Performance In-Cabin Camera Module.' Photo by LG Innotek
The 'in-cabin camera module' is a camera device that monitors the status of occupants inside the vehicle in real time, such as detecting the driver's condition like drowsy driving and forward attention, or checking whether the front passenger and second-row occupants are wearing seat belts. It is mainly installed in various locations inside the vehicle, such as the room mirror or above the front passenger seat.
As autonomous driving has become the trend in the automotive market recently, ensuring the safety of drivers, passengers, and pedestrians has emerged as a major issue. Alongside components mounted outside the vehicle, such as AD (Autonomous Driving)·ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) camera modules and LiDAR, industry interest in in-cabin cameras that monitor occupants inside the vehicle has naturally increased.
Europe has mandated by law the installation of DMS (Driver Monitoring System) in vehicles starting from 2025, and countries like the United States and Japan are also considering legislation. Accordingly, global automakers' adoption of in-cabin cameras has increased. The vehicle camera module market is also growing. Market research firm S&P Global forecasted that the global vehicle camera module market, which was about $6.923 billion (approximately 9.9 trillion KRW) last year, will grow at an average annual rate of 7% to reach about $10.769 billion (15.4 trillion KRW) by 2030.
Until now, in-cabin cameras released tended to be designed for a single function such as DMS or OMS (Occupant Monitoring System). When multiple functions were needed, multiple cameras had to be installed. To overcome this difficulty, LG Innotek developed a camera that allows users to solve multiple functions with a single camera. This is the greatest strength of the 'high-performance in-cabin camera module.'
Equipped with a high-resolution RGB-IR dual-use sensor, it can detect visible light in red, green, and blue as well as infrared wavelengths, and applies unique wide-angle technology to expand the field of view. Additionally, the product has about five times higher resolution than existing models at 5 megapixels, enabling more accurate occupant monitoring through clear images. The infrared detection function clearly recognizes subjects in dark conditions, allowing the monitoring of occupant status such as driver drowsiness even at night. The horizontal field of view (HFOV) has also been expanded to more than twice that of previous models. In particular, LG Innotek applied unique wide-angle technology to support a horizontal field of view of up to 143˚, broadening the monitoring range. This allows for comprehensive viewing not only of the front seats but also the second-row seats inside the vehicle from various positions. The size was reduced by 15% compared to existing products through the 'Wedge Bonding' process. Wedge bonding is a technology that attaches chips to substrates using ultrasonic power. The smaller the module size, the more versatile the mounting locations.
With this 'high-performance in-cabin camera module,' LG Innotek has further strengthened its vehicle sensing solution product lineup covering both inside and outside the vehicle. Previously, it also introduced a 'high-performance heating camera module' and 'high-performance LiDAR.' Leveraging these, LG Innotek is promoting to automaker customers in North America, Europe, and other regions. LG Innotek plans to introduce high-value-added products such as the 'All-weather High Performance camera module' equipped with high-performance heating and cleaning functions, based on world-class optical core technologies. Moon Hyuk-soo, CEO of LG Innotek, stated, "We will grow the vehicle sensing solution business to over 2 trillion KRW by 2030."
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