With the rapid development of technology, automobiles, as an essential means of transportation in modern society, are increasingly under the spotlight. Keywords like autonomous driving, artificial intelligence (AI), smart connectivity, and new energy are gradually shaping the future of the automotive industry. The widespread application of AI has transformed cars from mere transportation tools into highly intelligent machines with autonomous capabilities. As these trends evolve, the demand for automotive intelligence continues to rise, undoubtedly bringing more opportunities and application scenarios for Nuvoton Technology’s 3D TOF.

◆ Market Trends for TOF Applications in Vehicles

• Due to the digitalization trend driven by electrification, the demand for in-vehicle safety and comfort continues to grow.

• As multifunctionality becomes increasingly important, the demand for OMS (Occupant Monitoring System) is also rising.

◆ OMS Solution 1

◆ OMS Solution 2

Since 2015, Nuvoton has been dedicated to the research, development, manufacturing, and sales of 3D TOF products. Since the launch of the first-generation CCD (VGA) product, Nuvoton has sold over 2.2 million units, with 1.2 million of those units used in automotive applications (primarily for in-vehicle Driver Monitoring System (DMS) and gesture recognition).

As market demands and customer experience requirements continuously increase, Nuvoton's R&D team has continually optimized the design. Based on the first-generation CCD product, Nuvoton successfully launched a CMOS (VGA) product in 2023 that integrates superior performance, including high frame rates, low latency, anti-glare, and motion blur suppression. Compared with earlier products, the distance calculation circuitry is now integrated into the chip, providing a dual-output solution that delivers both IR and depth data simultaneously. This not only significantly reduces the computational demands at the application level but also cuts design costs.

The KW33000 chip has been widely used in various scenarios. Below are some of the cases we have shared:

◆ OMS Human Detection Case

  Detects 4+ occupants with only one sensor.

◆ Skeleton Detection + Body Landmark Detection

◆ DMS Solution

Detects facial orientation, gaze direction, drowsiness, and behaviors such as mobile phone usage.

◆ In-Cabin Gesture Recognition Solution

Using fingertip movement detection to operate the front panel from the rear seats, achieving smooth and zero-latency operation.

In recent years, as demand in the automotive market continues to increase, customers’ expectations for passenger experience and safety performance have also risen. Competition is becoming increasingly fierce between new carmakers and traditional brands, both domestic and international. The demand for depth cameras is growing rapidly, and many module manufacturers are shifting from traditional 2D cameras to 3D cameras. For customers who lack experience in designing 3D cameras, this has undoubtedly added complexity.

In response to these challenges, Nuvoton Technology actively participates in the customer's projects from the early design stage, providing comprehensive support in product design and production line setup at the application level.

 ◆ Nuvoton Provides System Solutions

We offer corresponding POC development boards based on customer scenario requirements.

◆ Our Team

Nuvoton Japan R&D team (hardware and software) is ready to assist customers in solving practical problems through online or offline methods based on actual needs.

In the future, Nuvoton will continue to develop more highly competitive new products, empowering the automotive industry and contributing to its ongoing development.