www.eetimes.eu, Nov. 24, 2020 –
Sensor degradation is intrinsically linked to the most crucial element of automotive design: safety. As advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous-vehicle designs proliferate, the need to get a handle on sensor degradation becomes self-evident. That's why the AutoSens 2020 virtual conference devoted a panel discussion to the topic, with Deloitte, the U.K.'s National Physical Laboratory, German transportation software startup Obsurver, and the University of Coventry.
EE Times Europe sister site EDN recently spoke with Robert Stead, managing director at Sense Media Group, to get the fundamental facts about automotive sensor degradation.
Why it happens
What are the leading causes of sensor degradation in automotive environments? For starters, according to Stead, wear and tear can occur around the external mounting locations of sensors, whether behind the windshield, the lighting cluster, or other protective layers.
Second, while sensors are designed according to automotive specifications, they are likely subject to some level of degradation because of the harsh automotive operating environment.