Optrontec, an optical component specialist led by CEO Choi Sangho, announced on October 22 that it has succeeded in developing the world’s first super hydrophilic lens technology to solve image distortion issues in autonomous vehicles and has begun discussions for mass production supply targeting the global automotive electronics market.
One of the main obstacles threatening the safety of autonomous vehicles is raindrops forming on camera lenses. When moisture accumulates on camera lenses installed at the front of vehicles in rainy, humid, or foggy conditions, it causes severe image distortion. Many drivers have experienced blurred images on parking cameras due to water droplets on rainy days.
Unlike parking cameras, image distortion in cameras for autonomous driving goes beyond simple inconvenience and can lead to recognition errors in autonomous driving algorithms, posing critical safety risks.
The industry has traditionally attempted to solve this problem by using super hydrophobic coatings, which repel water by causing droplets to bead up and roll off physically. However, there has been a technical limitation in achieving a water contact angle (WCA) of 135 degrees or higher. With the commercialization of Full Self Driving (FSD) accelerating, the importance of technologies that address external environmental factors has become even more pronounced.
To address these issues, Optrontec leveraged its 30 years of expertise and know-how in infrared blocking filter coating technology to develop a super hydrophilic coating technology, which is the opposite approach to conventional methods. Instead of repelling water droplets, this method allows droplets to instantly spread and flow across the lens surface, minimizing light refraction and image distortion. After 18 months of development, the company succeeded in achieving the world’s first super hydrophilic coating with a lens curvature change (WCA) of less than 1 degree.
Last month, Optrontec successfully passed rigorous reliability tests conducted by a leading global automotive camera manufacturer, proving the commercial viability and reliability of its technology. The company is now in discussions with global automotive electronics customers for mass production supply. According to Optrontec, there is a strong possibility that the technology will be adopted by Japanese automakers first, followed by domestic and North American automakers.
An Optrontec representative stated, “Super hydrophilic coating is regarded as a next-generation core technology that dramatically enhances the reliability of autonomous driving. Having started with CCTV and smartphone optical component technology, Optrontec is now setting a new technological standard in the automotive electronics market and leading next-generation technology trends in the global automotive industry.”
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