35 cameras, lidars, radars, and ultrasounds: This is the car with the most ADAS in the world

ADAS systems are advancing rapidly, incorporating more automated driving functions for parking and navigating specific roads and conditions. These systems require sensors to detect the car's surroundings and generate a reliable recognition of the vehicle's environment, enabling the systems to respond accordingly. The number and variety of sensors in vehicles are increasing alongside advancements in driving assistance and automated driving functionalities.

The first autonomous emergency braking assistant (AEB), launched by Volvo in 2008, used a radar and a camera to detect road obstacles and automatically apply brakes if the driver failed to react in time to avoid a collision. Today, the most advanced models have over 30 sensors, combining various technologies (LiDAR, millimetre-wave radars, ultrasonic sensors, high-resolution cameras...). The only manufacturer not combining different sensor technologies is Tesla, whose driving assistance systems rely solely on camera data and AI algorithms.

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The car's "brain" combines and processes information from all sensors. Vehicles with more sensors can process up to 8 GB of data per second, equivalent to downloading two 4K movies. Another consequence of the increased number of sensors is the need for enhanced computational power and sophisticated algorithms to lighten the processing load. The most advanced vehicles have a combined computational power of 1,016 TOPS (tera operations per second), with a battery of four latest-generation SoCs (system on chip) operating in parallel. A fully autonomous car, like robotaxis and models currently in development, requires a computational power of 3,048 TOPS.

The third key element in the equation is the use of Artificial Intelligence algorithms for recognizing traffic elements (vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, obstacles, road markings, signage...) and making quick decisions. With abundant sensor data, high computational power, and AI, a reliable and fast recognition of the environment is achieved, as every tenth of a second, a moving car covers a distance.

Thus, the car with the most sensors in the world is the Avatr 11, equipped with 35 sensors: 3 LiDAR sensors, 13 high-resolution cameras, 6 millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and 1 driver monitoring camera.

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In second place is the WM Motors M7, with 32 sensors. This electric sedan was the first in the world to equip 3 LiDAR sensors, providing a horizontal coverage of 330 degrees. Additionally, these sensors can autonomously zoom, allowing dynamic adjustment of frame rate and resolution based on different driving scenarios. These sensors are complemented by 5 millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, seven eight-megapixel cameras, four surround-view cameras, and 1 driver monitoring camera.

And in third place, the IO ET9, also with 32 sensors. The Aquila 2.0 autonomous driving system of this model has a total of 32 sensors: 1 ultra-long-range high-resolution LiDAR sensor, 2 wide-angle side LiDAR sensors, 7 high-resolution 8-megapixel cameras, 4 surround-view 3-megapixel cameras, 5 millimetre-wave radars, 12 ultrasonic sensors, and 1 driver monitoring camera.

- Cameras: The main camera of ADAS systems is mounted on the windshield. Some models use more cameras (up to 14) to monitor the entire exterior and the driver. Cameras have the advantage of adapting to different tasks, recognizing colours, and having a wide range from 50 to 500 meters, and up to 180 degrees; and the disadvantages of having vision problems in adverse weather conditions or when dirty, and being subject to natural optical illusions. The camera can recognize, through pre-programmed algorithms and semantic segmentation, the appearance of typical object categories such as cars, motorcycles, pedestrians, cyclists, signs, or road markings.

When a windshield is replaced, the cameras must be removed from the broken glass and mounted on the new one. Once installed, these systems must be recalibrated to ensure they function with maximum precision and provide the correct information to safety systems. Carglass is responsible for calibrating cameras using high-precision instruments in workshops by specially trained technicians.

- Radar sensor. The radar is used to locate static and moving objects. It works by sending radar waves, which bounce off objects around the vehicle. By measuring the relative speed and distance of objects with the Doppler effect, the relative speed, distance, and position of objects around the vehicle are determined. The radar has a range of 250 meters and a 360-degree range. Its advantages are its reliability, unaffected by weather conditions, and its ability to measure all relevant values in one (angle, distance, speed, material parameters) without calculations. On the downside, it does not recognize colours and offers limited shape recognition. They are usually installed under the grille and bumpers.

- Ultrasonic sensors. They are very reliable for recognizing the closest environment (up to six meters) and at low speeds. They work with sonar technology (like bats), sending ultrasonic pulses that bounce off obstacles and whose echoes are analyzed to obtain information. They are mainly used for parking assistants. These sensors are installed in the bumpers.

- LiDAR laser sensors. It is the only sensor that measures accurately in 3D (distance, position, and height), with a range of around 200 meters. Its disadvantages are its high price, reduced range in foggy, rainy conditions, or when dirty, and it does not recognize colours, although it does recognize materials.