5D imaging radar for L3+ systems

Provizio in Ireland has launched its 5D imaging radar system with over the air updates and support for processing camera and LiDaR data.

The VizioR&I combines the Provizio 4D VizioPrime imaging radar with Nvidia’s Orin GPU for real-time all-weather perception and can be upgraded to support other sensors for multimodal data fusion.

By integrating the Nvidia DRIVE AGX platform with DriveOS software the VizioR&I consolidates complex multimodal perception tasks into a single, compact device. This enables significant reduction in size, weight, power, and cost optimisations, allowing for seamless, plug-and-play integration in a wide variety of environments.

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The Multiple Input, Multiple Sparse Output (MIMSO) software defined active antenna technique proprietary surface-mount technology (SMT) chips into a novel planar antenna design. This allows a lower receive path noise floor to discriminate more of the radar beam by recycling parts of the radar beams that have traditionally been filtered. On the transmit path, the SMT ICs allow instantaneous beam switching, which multiplies the transmit channels and further increases the resolution. 

To do this, the Orin GPU runs Provizio’s proprietary SPTDMA software modulation that dynamically divides and assigns the radar hardware resources, increasing the number of tasks that can be performed simultaneously. When combined with MIMSO Active Antenna, this technique enables improved efficiency, signal to noise ratio and, detection & tracking. SPTDMA also enables robust performance in all weather conditions, with the added benefit of protecting against interference from other sensors.

The radar delivering 3D point clouds with 6K resolution for robust object detection and classification at ranges of up to 600 metres, ensuring precise perception in complex environments. Its radar odometry provides accurate localisation in GPS-denied conditions, while real-time radar freespace mapping enhances navigation in low-visibility or adverse weather.

A microservices architecture supports independent updates and over-the-air (OTA) functionality, allowing continuous improvements and customisation. Multi-sensor compatibility enables seamless synchronisation with other sensors, providing comprehensive perception through radar and image data fusion.

“VizioR&I signifies a totally new era for perception technology, not just for radars, but across the board – including LiDAR and cameras,” said Eamonn Lunn, Research & Industrial Business Development at Provizio. “Our goal at Provizio since day one is to lead the industry on a clear path to ubiquitous, safe and scalable autonomous driving. VizioR&I is a key step to ensuring radar is part of that journey, offering an out of the box perception solution that’s both more powerful and accessible than what’s currently on the market.”

The plug-and-play design, compatible with a wide variety of applications such as User Datagram Protocol, Data Distribution Service and Robot Operating System, for straightforward testing and integration into existing systems.