Sensor technology in vehicles

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January 2009 Sensors & Transducers

Frost & Sullivan research report

Increased uptake of sensor technology in automotive applications.

Regulatory compliance and increased affordability are driving the adoption of new sensor technology in vehicles. New analysis from global growth consulting company Frost & Sullivan, entitled 'Advances in sensors for automotive applications', finds that the availability of better next-generation sensors makes electronics one of the fastest growing areas in automotive technology.

“The increasing economies of scale have made it feasible to apply sensor-based designs that can eliminate or support the mechanical systems in place,” says Frost & Sullivan Technical Insights industry analyst Sivam Sabesan. “Advanced technologies such as micro-machined sensors have also made it possible to rely on sensors for safety applications.”

Improvements in manufacturing processes now facilitate the manufacture of sensors through silicon etching. These micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors are solid-state, reliable, and cost-effective and can be used in safety applications such as those controlling airbag activation and dynamic stability.

“The industry is working on creating low cost sensors with better subsystems, thereby reducing the cost of the system as a whole,” notes Sabesan. “Increased processing power has decreased the demands on the hardware, improving the chances of lowering the cost.”

However, the end-user market remains cost conscious and price will be the most important purchasing factor in the future, followed by technical capabilities. Sensor manufacturers should try to achieve economies of scale if they wish to meet customer demands.

Consumer sensitivity to fuel costs also encourages advances in sensor technology. For instance, newer cars with fuel-efficient automatic or continuously variable transmissions require numerous sensors to shift to an appropriate gear.

Fuel efficiency is not the only reason automotive manufacturers look to implement sensors in their products. Another significant factor is government regulations. The need to comply with legislation and standards is forcing even reluctant adopters of sensor technology to follow this trend.

In 2005, the US National Highway Transportation Authority mandated that all cars be equipped with tyre pressure monitoring systems by 2007. This stipulation prompted the development of cost-effective commercial solutions and several other sensors that complemented the standard set of sensors used in the last 20 years. Some of the earliest sensors launched in the mass market were the manifold air pressure sensor and the exhaust oxygen sensor.

“Government legislation has historically played an important role in influencing the adoption of high-value items – catalytic converters in the 1970s being one such example,” notes Sabesan. “Another example is the introduction of fuel injection systems in the late 1970s to cope with the smog regulations in place.”

Likewise, with tight emission regulations, manufacturers will divert a substantial percent of their research expenditures toward sensor technology development for emission control.

For more information contact Patrick Cairns, Frost & Sullivan, +27 (0)21 680 3274, [email protected], www.frost.com

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