At night, the biggest danger isn’t traffic, it’s what you can’t see. Infrared thermal imaging cuts through darkness, glare and blind corners where headlights fall short. GMW has unveiled its latest Tank 500 SUV, which integrates Raytron’s thermal camera into its third-generation ADAS.
Traditional headlights and visible cameras rely on reflected light from objects, which can be compromised by adverse weather, high beams or low-reflectivity surfaces such as black tires, dark clothing or matte vehicles. Infrared thermal imaging detects the thermal radiation emitted by objects and converts it into real-time images independent of ambient light. This enables drivers to proactively perceive pedestrians, vehicles, cyclists and animals even in challenging conditions.
Raytron’s night vision camera auto-detects heat signatures at 150-300m with wide coverage. Thermal imaging can offer 5-8 seconds of advance warning on winding roads, allowing extra time for the automatic braking system (AEB) to activate or for evasive actions to be taken.
One example provided by the company involved Tank 500 owner Mr Zhang, who in March was driving on a dark mountain road in western Sichuan. He received an alert from Raytron’s night vision thermal camera just before a Tibetan antelope crossed the highway. Mr Zhang noted that relying only on his headlights would have meant braking too late.
In related news, AB Dynamics has presented ClearTrack, a fully integrated object detection system for driverless robot-controlled vehicle testing, developed with sister company ABD Solutions