Revolutionizing Automotive Safety: ROHM’s VCSELED Infrared Light Source for Driving Assistance Technologies

ROHM has created a new type of infrared light source called a VCSELED that combines the advantages of VCSELs and LEDs. This light source has minimal changes in performance with temperature variations and emits light at a wide angle with consistent brightness, making it beneficial for advancements in automotive driving assistance technology.

ROHM has introduced a new technology called VCSELED, which combines a VCSEL element with a resin optical diffusion material to create an infrared light source. This technology is being developed by ROHM for use in improving Driver Monitoring Systems (DMS) and In-Cabin Monitoring Systems (IMS) in vehicles.

To improve safety in cars, driver monitoring systems are being increasingly added to vehicles with Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) to identify signs of tiredness, drowsiness, and distracted driving. In Japan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism (MLIT) has established guidelines outlining the design and features of these systems, while in the EU, there are plans to require their installation in all new vehicles sold in Europe starting from July 2024. Car manufacturers and suppliers are also working on developing monitoring systems that can detect passengers other than the driver, and there is a growing recognition of the importance of high-quality light sources that allow these detection systems to operate more accurately.

ROHM has created VCSELED to improve sensing accuracy. This technology minimizes temperature-related changes in wavelength and has a wide emission beam angle, making it suitable for in-vehicle monitoring systems. It also enhances the precision and efficiency of inspection systems for robots and industrial equipment, as well as spatial recognition and ranging systems.

VCSELED uses a combination of a high-performance VCSEL element and light diffusion material to expand the beam angle, allowing for more accurate sensing over a larger area compared to traditional LEDs. Additionally, the light emitting element and light diffuser are merged into a compact package, making it suitable for smaller and thinner applications.

The VCSELED uses a VCSEL element with a narrow emission wavelength bandwidth of 4nm, which is much narrower than that of LEDs. This helps improve resolution on the receiving end and eliminates the red glow often seen with LEDs. Additionally, the wavelength temperature variation is only 0.072nm/°C, much lower than that of LEDs at 0.3nm/°C, allowing for accurate sensing even with temperature changes. The response time for emitting light is 2ns, significantly faster than LEDs, making it suitable for ToF applications that use infrared light for distance measurement.

ROHM is in the process of making VCSELED available as a new technology brand for infrared light source components. Prototype samples can be purchased now, with mass production samples set to be released for consumers in October 2024 and for automotive use in 2025. To request samples, reach out to a sales representative or visit the contact page on ROHM's website. In the future, there will be further development of laser light source technology for in-vehicle monitoring and other systems.

Vocabulary

VCSEL stands for Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser. Originally used for communication purposes, it is now becoming more common as a light source in sensing systems.

DMS, which stands for Driver Monitoring System, is a safety feature that monitors the driver's facial and eye movements to determine if they are able to drive safely. It alerts the driver with sounds or text messages to prevent accidents from happening.

IMS (ICMS) stands for In-Cabin Monitoring System, which is a system that enhances safety and comfort by monitoring the front and rear passenger seats, recognizing occupants, and using biometric sensing technology to expand the detection range.

When using high power infrared LEDs in sensors and other devices, there is a chance that wavelengths similar to visible light may be produced, which can be seen by humans. This causes the sensor to have a slight red appearance, leading to it being referred to as having a "red glow".

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