Baidu, Sony, LCE, and Black Sesame Technologies create onboard camera with 15 million+ pixels

Beijing (Gasgoo)- Baidu’s intelligent auto arm Apollo joined hands with Sony Semiconductor Solutions Group, Lianchuang Electronic Technology (LCE), and Black Sesame Technologies to develop the world’s first high-resolution automotive camera module with over 15 million pixels. 

Photo credit: Baidu Apollo

The team has finished the preliminary designs of the camera module, and is working to accelerate the R&D and testing phases. The camera module is expected to hit the market in the near future. 

Currently, the most used camera modules in the auto industry have a resolution of 2 million to 8 million pixels. However, the development of intelligent and autonomous driving has driven up the demand for higher-resolution cameras. 

With its full-scale 15 million+ pixels resolution and its light-sensing chips pixel structure, Baidu and its partners’ camera module is able to significantly elevate the quality of image captures. The combination is effective to provide more accurate, precise, and detailed color rendition under low-light scenarios.  

Functioning as an onboard camera, the product is designed to cope with extreme driving conditions, including vibration, high/low temperature, rain and fog, and drastic changes in illumination. Its vertical information capture ability allows the camera to work under the said circumstances and still provide accurate recognition of surrounding environments. 

In addition, the camera will be powered by an exclusive ISP integrated into the ACU terminal, offering sufficient computing power for its advanced capabilities. The visual ability of a single unit 15 million+ pixels camera is equivalent to that of 3 traditional cameras, the partners added. Automakers can reduce costs and optimize camera layout space with the said camera in the future.