Autonomous driving requires 100% reliability across the many complex and interconnected systems within vehicles. By addressing overlapping challenges in automotive systems with multifunctional solutions, engineers can enable ongoing advancements in autonomous driving.
By Christophe Loret
The promise of autonomous driving — enhanced safety, improved traffic flow, and greater accessibility — is exciting. The emergence of 4D imaging radar, in particular, marks a significant leap forward in capabilities. This technology delivers higher resolution and more accurate environmental data than ever before. Traditional radar systems measure distance, direction, and relative velocity, but 4D imaging radar adds vertical information, presenting a richer and more complete picture of a vehicle’s surroundings.
Yet realizing the full benefits of these technological improvements requires 100% reliability across the many complex and interconnected systems within vehicles. So, as we progress from Level 2 driver assistance toward Level 3 autonomy and beyond, the performance requirements for every component intensify exponentially. The systems that were adequate for lane-keeping assistance must now support decision-making in complex urban environments, adverse weather conditions, and split-second emergency scenarios.
The central role of ADAS
Advanced driver assistance systems sit at the nexus of this great potential and these mounting challenges. ADAS encompasses an intricate network of sensors and components — radars, cameras, LiDAR — all working in concert to assist drivers and protect passengers. Improved ADAS performance requires more processing power, increased sensor density and higher operating frequencies. The higher frequencies pose a particular challenge: at these shorter wavelengths, even tiny gaps and seams in shielding become pathways for electromagnetic interference. As a result of all these factors, thermal loads escalate and EMI risks intensify.
At the same time, components within vehicles are subject to harsh environmental conditions and mechanical stresses — from extreme temperatures to vibration and shock. Further, as performance demands increase, design space decreases. And in the era of electric vehicles, where every gram affects range and efficiency, engineers must find ways to minimize weight.
Amid this complex web of challenges, automakers are raising the bar when it comes to the performance and reliability requirements of their components and demanding more from their materials suppliers. Solving these challenges forces engineers to fundamentally rethink component design and materials selection.
From the stackup to multifunctional solutions
Consider the cascading issues facing today's design engineers. Unwanted electromagnetic reflections can create phantom targets, causing radar systems to detect obstacles that don't exist or miss those that do. These EMI disturbances can trigger incorrect vehicle decisions with potentially catastrophic consequences. Meanwhile, heat buildup threatens electronic system operability, while the structural components holding radar units must withstand constant vibration, temperature extremes, and occasional impact without losing integrity.
While advanced materials can address these multifaceted challenges, simply adding materials no longer works at a time when engineers need to save space and minimize weight. The traditional “stackup” of materials must give way to “multifunctional” thinking. When engineers adopt multifunctional thinking, they seek ways to integrate multiple functions within single space- and weight-saving components. This approach maximizes the use of every component. For example, engineers can:
- Turn the radar bracket into a rugged thermoplastic piece that also provides EMI absorption. Engineers can optimize the structure and texture of the radar bracket to improve reflectivity across various angles of incidence.
- Explore thermoplastic materials that combine thermal management and EMI mitigation within electronic control units. Thermoplastic solutions are moldable, allowing engineers to create complex shapes. And by replacing metal components and stacks of different parts with multifunctional thermoplastic materials, engineers will be able to increase design flexibility and reduce material weight.
- Improve the performance of domain controllers by incorporating innovative materials that enable both heat transfer and thorough filtering of EMI noise.
By addressing overlapping challenges in automotive systems with multifunctional solutions, engineers can improve the performance and reliability of ADAS components and enable ongoing advancements in autonomous driving.
A no-compromise approach to engineering
While automotive engineers have always pursued elegant design and flawless performance, they have historically been able to achieve their goals without maximizing the use of each material and component. For example, even through Level 2 autonomy, they have been able to use structural pieces with no absorbing functionality. And they have been able to stack up EMI and thermal management materials without consequences. They also may have been able to make compromises in terms of materials selection. But as we move toward Level 3 autonomy and beyond, these approaches won’t be enough to deliver the 100% reliability essential for driver and passenger safety as well as compliance with regulations and insurance requirements.
To address this new reality and enable continued advancements in autonomy, engineers must embrace holistic multifunctional design, using advanced materials that offer several solutions in one. Leveraging thorough modeling, measurement and testing, they can validate performance of these materials in their applications, ensure long-term reliable performance, and enable the future of mobility.
About the author
Christophe Loret is an absorber and multifunctional solution product manager at Laird Technologies, a global supplier of advanced electronic materials for thermal management and signal integrity, within Qnity Electronics Inc.
