August 09, 2021

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In a marketplace brimming with innovative cars that are noted for their reliability and technology, it is hard to get noticed, let alone be recognized for leadership. However, Subaru has done it again with their all-new Levorg for the Japanese market that was named the 2020-2021 Car of the Year Japan.


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Subaru designed the Levorg to “go further with more comfort, safety and enjoyment” by deploying advanced technology extensively throughout the vehicle. The Eyesight X advanced driving assist system (ADAS) stands out among the many life-saving and fuel-saving technologies embedded in the Levorg. It is the result of an innovation partnership between Subaru and onsemi, with onsemi providing the image sensor technology. In fact, Eyesight X has proven so popular with customers, 94% of all new Levorg sold have included this trim option – a true reflection of the importance of advanced safety in modern vehicles for consumers.

Eyesight X enables the vehicle to see the road to prevent collisions and optimizes adaptive cruise control efficiency, thereby saving fuel. Another product of the collaboration is Subaru’s award-winning DriverFocus system that senses drivers’ eye movements, alerting them when their eyes leave the road ahead for too long.

Subaru and onsemi use advanced technology and innovative design to rethink how vehicles contribute to keeping drivers and passengers safe. The Eyesight X system uses stereoscopic machine vision to identify road conditions, traffic signals and potential hazards, and uses this information to control the vehicle, as well as alerting drivers when they need to take urgent action.

With human error being the primary cause of accidents, technologies such as Eyesight X and DriverFocus are leading the way towards a world with fewer accidents and saving human lives. The image sensor is at the heart of the automated vision system that vehicles and road safety become ever-more reliant on., With that, it is a key differentiator in the overall performance and, consequently, the number of lives saved and injuries averted.

With over 120 million sensors shipped for camera-based ADAS, onsemi has a wealth of experience in the needs of automotive manufacturers. The high-performance sensor selected for the Subaru systems ensured high-quality data was captured and made available for processing.

The automotive environment is difficult with rapidly changing weather and lighting conditions, all of which present challenges for the sensor. As a result of their experience in the needs of automotive ADAS systems, onsemi’s sensors offer best-in-class high-dynamic range, ensuring that there is detail in the brightest and darkest parts of a scene.


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The move to LED lighting technology in roadside signs and lighting as well as vehicle lighting has reduced power consumption and weight significantly, making vehicles and infrastructure more efficient. Unlike traditional bulbs that have constant power, LEDs are modulated, or turned on and off at high frequency to manage perceived brightness and power. As there is no standard for the frequency used, and the frequency is varied to adjust the brightness of the LEDs, it is likely that with the high capture rates of modern sensors that part of the image will be captured while the LEDs are turned off. Human brains smooth this effect out most of the time, but a high-performance sensor will capture it.

LED flicker mitigation (LFM) is a feature of many sensors in our automotive product line. However, to achieve the best possible performance, engineers at onsemi further improved the sensor, delivering performance that surpassed even the customer’s expectations.

The image sensors become the eyes for the cars to see the roads. The close collaboration between Subaru and onsemi is yet another example of how our innovative solutions exceed expectations and help build safer vehicles.   

Watch Video: Subaru and onsemi are making driving safer