Subaru wants to further improve its EyeSight technology, which is the car brand’s advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). The Japanese automaker is looking to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its EyeSight tech from 2025.
In a report by Automotive News, Subaru aims to use AI tech to make its cars capable to do things such as autonomous driving, and automatic parking. The new tech will reportedly be built upon Subaru’s existing windshield-mounted stereo camera system.
The Japanese car brand said that the new EyeSight with AI tech will improve computer recognition in hard-to-see driving conditions such as when lane markings are covered in snow.
The existing Subaru EyeSight system features a set of dual-color cameras placed near the rearview mirror. Some of its ADAS include the pre-collision braking system, autonomous emergency steering, adaptive cruise control, lane centering control, among many others.
Thanks to the EyeSight tech, the 2022 Subaru BRZ managed to get the Top Safety Pick+ award from the U.S. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
The new EyeSight tech is being developed at Subaru’s new AI center in Shibuya. Engineers are said to be using machine learning to deliver “better safety features at a faster pace.”
Subaru Lab director Eiji Shibata told Automotive News that the car brand is determined to make its EyeSight tech more advanced as it is one of Subaru’s main calling cards. Shibata also said that Subaru is prioritizing reducing traffic accident fatalities as soon as possible, which is why it is further finding ways how to improve its EyeSight tech.
“Subaru’s approach is how to reduce traffic accident fatalities to zero as soon as possible rather than focusing on autonomous driving,” Shibata said.
Subaru Lab deputy director Toru Saito added that integrating AI with the car brand’s current stereo camera system is “more effective” since dual cameras are said to be better than lidar at creating three-dimensional imagery. AI tech can detect hard-to-see objects such as a person lying down on the road.
“The use of stereo camera has a huge advantage in connection with AI. Other carmakers pursue a multi-solution approach and use radars, monocular cameras, and lidar. But stereo cameras are capable of doing what these three technologies can do individually,” Saito said.
The EyeSight tech was first introduced in Japan in May 2008. It initially used a single camera technology to provide driver assist features such as Adaptive Cruise Control and Pre-Collision Braking. These detect not only cars but also pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists. Subaru vehicles equipped with EyeSight have now exceeded five million global sales.
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