Texas Instruments announces mass production of its ultra-wideband AWR1642 and IWR1642 mmWave sensors supporting frequencies from 76 to 81 GHz. The sensors allegedly deliver three times more accurate sensing and the smallest footprint at a fraction of the power of comparable sensor technologies.
Smarter Vehicles
The mmWave radar sensors, which will first appear in vehicles on the road in late 2018, will enable advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) applications, which include long-, short- and medium-range radar, that help make the car smarter and safer. Expanding outside of ADAS, engineers are using the automotive-qualified AWR1642 sensor to detect free space and obstacles near doors and trunks, occupancy detection inside the cabin, intruder alert and smarter automated parking.
TI also offers a common software development kit (SDK) and design resources to help speed development time. For example, the Vehicle Occupant Detection Reference Design provides a system-level overview and software examples for using the AWR1642 sensor to detect people inside a vehicle.
Industrial Applications
To improve building automation, developers can use the People Counting and Tracking Reference Design Using mmWave Radar Sensor. By monitoring both the large and small movements of people through the collection range, velocity and angle data, developers can enable more intelligent building systems, including heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, elevators and more.
The Traffic Monitoring Object Detection and Tracking Reference Design Using mmWave Radar Sensor for smart cities tracks vehicle and machine movement with a sensor-equipped intelligent transportation system on the road, in the factory or on the farm to streamline everything from parking meters and traffic lights to agriculture and construction equipment and incident management.
Developers can use mmWave sensors in machines on the production line to sense and avoid obstacles or detect and recognize hand gestures through the collection of range, velocity and angle data, revolutionizing human and machine interactions.
The AWR1642 is available for $45 each/1,000 and the IWR1642 is available for $19.99 each/1,000. For more details, apps, and specs, visit the mmWave sensors page.