AMD powers Hitachi Astemo's forward camera system to boost vehicle safety

San Francisco, Sep 7 (IANS) Chip-making giant AMD has announced that leading mobility supplier Hitachi Astemo selected AMD adaptive computing technology to power its new, stereo-format, forward-looking camera for adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking, thus improving the vision capabilities.

The AMD Automotive XA Zynq UltraScale+ multi-processor system-on-a-chip (MPSoC) provides both stereo and monocular image processing in the camera, enabling it to detect objects over 120 degrees -- a 3X wider angle than its previous-generation cameras -- to enhance overall safety.

“AMD high-performance, highly scalable, programmable silicon offers distinct benefits for the extremely complex image signal processing requirements of our forward camera system,” said Makoto Kudo, deputy head of ECU solution business unit, Powertrain and Safety Systems Business Division, Hitachi Astemo. 

Camera systems are a critical part of autonomous driving and advanced driver-assistance systems in vehicles. 

Forward cameras play a key role in these systems, enabling vehicles to reliably detect objects and people. 

The Hitachi Astemo system powered by AMD combines stereo camera image-processing algorithms with artificial intelligence to provide object detection that will also enable video-based driver-assistance systems.

“Increased safety and accident avoidance are key tenets to automotive technologies, and AMD is proud to offer the foundational technology in these camera systems,” said Yousef Khalilollahi, corporate vice president, APAC Sales, AMD.

From powering in-vehicle infotainment systems to advanced driver-assistance systems, autonomous driving and networking applications where functional safety is of paramount importance, AMD provides carmakers with a one-stop shop for silicon and software solutions.