STMicroelectronics has announced two new automotive global shutter image sensors, the VG5661 and VG5761, featured for driver monitoring. Both were demonstrated with automotive software innovator Jungo’s driver-monitoring solution CoDriver, at the recent AutoSens Imaging conference and at Electronica 2018.

These advanced image sensors enhance monitoring of vehicle occupants by capturing the scene as illuminated from the camera, eliminating unpredictable external effects such as sunlight or street lighting. Their superior image quality sharpens the responses of driver-monitoring systems, especially under near-infrared illumination close to 940nm, and makes possible new features, such as assessing driver attention, passenger comfort or child behavior. The new sensors embed ST’s automotive global shutter technology that strongly minimizes the illumination power consumption, even in high dynamic range mode.

Safety organizations worldwide agree that driver fatigue is a factor involved in up to 25% of road accidents. Enhanced driver monitoring using ST’s image sensors can reduce injuries and save lives. The sensing accuracy also helps autonomous-driving systems assess a human driver’s fitness to take over any time during a journey, easing transitions between manual and autonomous driving modes for greater comfort and safety. The European car safety rating system Euro NCAP’s 2025 Roadmap has proposed driver monitoring as the highest priority primary-safety feature. It is also a prerequisite for automated driving.

The sensors are currently sampling, and ST is working with lead customers to facilitate adoption in new driver-assistance systems for next generations of vehicles.