Automotive Optical Sensors

TeCIP Institute

 28th October 2019 – PC Room – 14:30     29th October 2019 – Blue Room – 09:30

 30th October 2019 – PC Room – 09:30     31st October 2019 – White Room – 14:00

Abstract:

The recent growth of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS) and automated features/functions on vehicles, associated with increased demand on safety and comfort, is revolutionising the way we use and we perceive cars, from mere means of transportation to ‘Intelligent Vehicles’ (IVs). In order to face the new challenges associated with IVs, it is fundamental to have a good understanding of the sensors used in the vehicles, with a focus on ‘environment perception sensors’ (ultrasonic, LiDAR, vision systems, RADAR).

The learning outcomes of this module are:

• to develop a critical appreciation of the current challenges associated with intelligent vehicles;
• to acknowledge the role of different sensors deployed in vehicles and expected to be used in IVs;
• to analyse working principles, strengths and limitations of two pivotal optical perception sensors: CMOS camera sensors and LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors,  still a technology that the automotive industry is split on.

Through an analysis of the two sensors mentioned above, small group exercises and tutorials, students will gain an understanding of the state of the art and on-going research in the field of automotive optical sensors.

Short bio:

Dr Valentina Donzella, Associate Professor in the Intelligent Vehicles group at WMG, University of Warwick, is the Director of WMG's MSc in Smart Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, managing a suite of modules in automotive sensors, sensor fusion, automotive embedded system V&V and robustness, machine intelligence, human technology interaction and communications.

Dr Donzella's current research interests are: intelligent vehicle sensors, LiDARs, optical sensing, integrated optics, automotive electronics and test techniques. She currently supervises a number of doctoral, masters and undergraduate project students.
Valentina completed her Ph.D. (with honours) in Innovative Technologies for Communication and Information Engineering form SSSUP (Pisa, Italy). Before joining WMG, she was a postdoctoral researcher and then MITACS fellow at the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, BC), working on Silicon Photonics integrated optical sensors.