ST introduces automotive image sensor to help scale affordable in-cabin sensing
STMicroelectronics has introduced the ST SafeSense VD56GA, a new 1.1 MP automotive image sensor for infrared in-cabin sensing that helps OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers scale driver and occupant monitoring across vehicle lines while balancing performance, integration, and cost.
As driver and occupant monitoring moves into more vehicle platforms, automotive manufacturers and suppliers are looking for imaging solutions that support strong in-cabin performance without adding unnecessary system cost or design complexity. VD56GA meets that need with a compact sensor architecture, high infrared sensitivity, and embedded image-processing features that can help simplify camera design and integration. The sensor is designed to give camera developers the image quality needed for driver and occupant monitoring while preserving the size and cost advantages of a compact format. In many in-cabin use cases, this can help customers meet performance targets without moving to a larger, more expensive sensor.
VD56GA is designed to help reduce the cost of the complete camera module. Its imaging performance enables the use of lower-cost optics, simplified infrared illumination, less demanding optical filtering, and no external image-processing. For OEMs and Tier 1s, that can translate into a more cost-effective path to deploying driver and occupant monitoring across a broader range of vehicle programs.
The sensor leverages a new backside-illuminated pixel architecture, called ST DeepNIR, optimised for infrared imaging. With 35% higher modulation transfer function (MTF) sharpness and nearly 60% higher quantum efficiency than the previous generation, VD56GA is currently the only sensor in its class to achieve this level of combined optical resolution and infrared sensitivity, helping in challenging conditions like under display camera.
By extracting more performance from a compact 1.1 MP architecture, VD56GA helps automotive designers achieve the image quality required for advanced sensing functions, while benefiting from the integration and cost advantages of a compact sensor architecture.
Designed for modern automotive camera modules, VD56GA is housed in a compact 3.7 mm x 3.2 mm CSP package, making it suitable for space-constrained installations and next-generation in-cabin camera designs.
The device also integrates a range of embedded image-processing functions, including mirror, crop, dark calibration, auto exposure, and piecewise-linear processing. These features remove the need for external image-processing resources, simplify camera design and speed development.
Support for both RAW and YUV output formats give OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers flexibility across different electronic architectures and software environments, making it easier to adapt the device to a broad range of implementation strategies.
