ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components | Enabling Intelligent and Futuristic Driving

As the automotive sector continues to develop to chase a distant reality of fully autonomous vehicles, there is augmenting demand for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems(ADAS) from the sector. Advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) refer to electronic systems that aid drivers in various driving-related purposes. ADAS incorporate automated technology like cameras and sensors to screen and detect obstacles or driver errors to give put proper and timely responses. The latest technological upgrades in ADAS now enable the much-needed safety features, such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Traction Stability, and Emergency Call Unit features, among others. 

The majority of road accidents happen due to human errors, and these systems play a vital role in mitigating accidents. ADAS is equipped with safety features that are designed to reduce the risks of accidents and collisions through technologies that immediately alert the driver about the impending problems, implements safety measures, and overtakes the control of the vehicles, as and when required. 

ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components: History and Trends

ADAS was first implemented about five decades ago, with the extensive adoption of anti-locking braking systems. The first-stage ADAS included blind spot information systems, anti-lock brakes, adaptive cruise control (ACC), and lane departure warning, among others. The industry is now witnessing extensive technological development and advancement. 

With increasing congestion on the roads, there has been an upsurge in the frequency of fatal accidents and injuries, thereby augmenting the demand for ADAS and autonomous technologies. According to Emergen Research, the Global ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components Market are predicted to attain a valuation of USD 118.03 billion by 2027, expanding at a remarkable CAGR of 21.9% throughout the projected timeframe. 

The rising attraction and incorporation of ADAS technology in fleet trucks and large vehicles has contributed immensely to the expansion of the market. With their rising incorporation in logistics, a large number of administrative initiatives have led to the emergence of stringent policies regarding the safety of the driver and the vehicle. This factor is anticipated to play a pivotal role in the expansion of the market. 

ADAS technology relies on data obtained from multiple data sources, such as automotive imaging, LiDAR, image processing, radar, in-car networking, and computer vision. Additional inputs from other sources such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication are also possible. Modern cars are equipped with ADAS integrated into the electronics of the vehicle and the integration of these systems into a massive number of new vehicles has paved the way for partially automated driving, as of now.

Increasing development in technologies of ADAS has assisted in reducing capital expenditures and has enabled the migration of some features from high-end vehicles to mass-produced vehicles. ADAS and autonomous driving components have already become one of the rapidly growing segments in the automobile electronics. 

Advanced Features of ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components

Some of the critical components of ADAS are adaptive cruise control (ACC), automatic parking, anti-lock braking, automotive navigation system, automotive night vision, and collision avoidance system, among others. ADAS enables autonomous cars to offer self-driving features, but ADAS differs from vehicle to vehicle. 

Adaptive Cruise Control 

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) maintains a specific speed and space between two back-to-back vehicles. These control systems have the power to provide brake or accelerate to maintain a safe distance between two cars, automatically. Some of the advanced systems are equipped with “stop and go” features that enable the car or any other vehicle to stop and accelerate again to attain a specific speed. 

Alcohol Ignition Interlock Devices 

Alcohol ignition interlock devices restrict the driver and prevent them from starting the car in a case where the alcohol level exceeds the pre-described levels. These systems have been encouraged to be incorporated in all the new vehicles on the orders of The Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Anti-lock Braking System 

Anti-lock braking systems restore traction to the car’s tires by monitoring and regulating the pressure of the brake when the vehicle has an increased chance of skidding. Besides assisting in cases of skidding, ABS also assists drivers who might let go of vehicle control. They have now become standard in-vehicle systems. 

Significant Components of ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components

 Several other features impart a better understanding of ADAS. These components are sensors, processors, software, mapping, and actuators. Sensors used in the vehicles confer real-time and actionable data that powers the ADAS. Processors are widely used to develop everything from real-time 3D model to calculate the proximity of the other vehicles. The software incorporates machine learning and AI to enable better management of the different scenarios during driving. The capabilities of the system include mapping stores and updating the geographical location gathered through sensors to predict its exact location. Actuators in ADAS facilitate connection with other electrical systems in vehicles. The systems control everything from electric power steering to automatic acceleration and braking.

Global Market Landscape

The ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components Market is growing exponentially and is predicted to further expand during the projected timeframe. The market has extended presence in prominent geographical areas, such as North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. North America and Europe were the dominating regions of the industry due to the augmenting demand for secure and systematic vehicles. Rising government initiatives concerning the passengers’ safety and vehicles safety are driving the need for ADAS in regions.

Asia Pacific is forecast to be the fastest-growing region in the ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components Market. The regional expansion can be attributed to the augmenting production of electric vehicles in countries such as India, Japan, and China. Moreover, government initiatives to encourage the incorporation of autonomous systems in vehicles is driving the regional growth of the industry. For instance, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways in India has decided to adopt ADAS features by 2022. Electronic Stability Control and Automatic Emergency Braking are set to be implemented in phase 1 of the plan. 

The Growing Competition in the Industry

The ADAS and Autonomous Driving Components Market is relatively competitive and is dominated by the major players such as Continental AG, ZF Friedrichshafen, Aptiv, RobertBosch, Hyundai Mobis, Denso, Magna International, Analog Devices, and Valeo. The companies and major manufacturers are actively engaged in technological advancements to develop innovative ADAS. For instance, Mobileye, an Intel company, created an extensive ADAS of active and passive systems. Passive Systems send alerts to the drivers to notify them of likely rough situations to confer enough time for a response. Active systems inform the drivers of the problem and overtake vehicles’ control depending on the situation. 

Another such development is the acquisition of Red Pine Software, an ADAS expert, by TTTech Auto, a leader in the autonomous driving safety software platform, in January 2020. The acquisition allowed TTTech Auto to augment its software development capabilities for ADAS and Automated Driving projects. 

Future of Automotive Industry

Automotive connectivity and ADAS are anticipated to be the crucial elements in shaping the future of the automotive industry as it has the potential to break the ground for fully autonomous vehicles. The growth of ADAS and autonomous drivingcomponents and rising investment and funding for R&D activities of autonomous driving have attracted several hi-tech firms, thereby creating lucrative prospects. 

The changing dynamics of consumers and major original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and the escalating requirement of resilient security features for the enhanced shielding of drivers and passengers, and the incorporation of 5G tech for connectivity solutions in the vehicles are further anticipated to boost the industry growth over the connected timeline. Unprecedented demand for autonomous vehicles is expected to create lucrative opportunities in the future, with Tesla, Toyota, and Honda tapping into the nascent market, thereby further augmenting the demand for ADAS and autonomous driving components. 

Drivers of the Trans-Catheter Mitral Valve Implantation Market include Advancements in Techniques of Trans-Catheter Mitral Valve Implantation, Substantial Prevalence of Mitral Regurgitation, and Favorable Reimbursement Scenarios

Market Insights:

Mitral regurgitation (MR) is the most common heart valve disease, affecting around four million people in the U.S. Typically, open-heart surgeries are a standard mode of treatment for MR, although in certain cases, there are grave risks associated with the surgery.  Till now, patients have had to resort to medical treatment to deal with MR, but for patients with specific types of mitral valve dysfunction that leads to MR, clipping the mitral valve will be a good option, especially when the risks of undergoing surgery are dire. Transcatheter mitral valve implantation can help lower the incidences of heart failure and the resulting hospitalizations. It is a less invasive option for patients for whom open-heart surgery is not an option.

Untreated, MR can ultimately result in chronic heart failure, which is the leading reason for hospitalization in Europe and the U.S. It occurs when the mitral valve between two chambers of the heart cannot close completely, and the blood flow leaks backward. It involves symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, swollen feet, and inability to exercise or perform daily activities. This leads to increased stress on the heart, enlargement of the heart, heart dysfunction, and even heart failure. The demand for a treatment method is significantly high, which has urged companies and academia to explore the effectiveness of transcatheter mitral valve implantation and is also a major driver for the growth of the market.

The leading companies in the industry include Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic, LivaNova, Edward Lifesciences, MValve Technologies, HLT Medical, Colibri Heart Valve, Neovasc, NeoChord, Biotronik Private Limited, Transcatheter Technologies GmbH and Venus Medtech. The competitive landscape has witnessed numerous deals and developments recently.

Medtronic has partnered with the medical device company incubator, The Foundry, to build and invest in a company dedicated to working on an innovative transcatheter mitral repair (TMVr) technology. The partnership brings together The Foundry’s work in the transcatheter mitral valve repair and replacement field and Medtronic’s position in intellectual property and Structural Heart. The deal creates structured financial tranches from both the companies and gives Medtronic exclusive rights to the resulting corporation dubbed Half Moon Medical, subject to achieving some clinical and technical milestones. Half Moon was also awarded U.S. FDA approval for an early feasibility study in patients having severe and symptomatic MR.

While Half Moon awaits its first implants, another company, TidalHealth,  has achieved a medical milestone after successfully implanting MitraClip for treating MR in the heart. Delmarva’s first two implantations of MitraClip were conducted at TidalHealth Peninsula Regional in late September. The number of patients it can benefit will be a primary driver for the growth of the transcatheter mitral valve implantation market in the coming years, especially in regions like Europe and North America that have a high active patient count.

Increasing use of Wearable Biosensors for Real-Time, Accurate Healthcare Monitoring will Drive the Biosensors Market Growth

Market Insights:

Biosensors are analytical devices that can detect the concentration or presence of biological analytes, microorganisms, or biological structures. Biosensors have numerous applications in industries, such as medical, food, and agriculture, among others. They have also found a vital place in COVID-19 diagnosis. SD Biosensor’s STANDARD Q COVID-19 IgM/IgG Duo Test Kit for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2 in humoral fluid received EUA (Emergency Use Authorization) from the US FDA in April. The company has also co-developed a SARS-CoV-2 point-of-care (PoC) antigen test with Roche Diagnostics.

A potential cross-industry application that would boost both the biosensors and the wearable devices markets in the following years is the increasing use of wearable biosensors for real-time, accurate healthcare monitoring. A biosensor that can be printed directly on the skin has recently been created by a team of researchers headed by Penn State University’s Larry (Huanyu) Cheng, the most interesting use of which would possibly be for diagnosing COVID-19. The leading companies in the biosensors sphere include Abbott Laboratories, Molecular Devices Corporation, Biosensors International, Bio-Rad International, DowDuPont Inc., Pinnacle Technology, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Siemens Healthineers, TE Connectivity Corporation, and Roche Diagnostics. Both companies and scientists have been exploring the uses of biosensors, and recent years have seen rapid development on the research front.

In a major breakthrough, researchers from the  University of Virginia School of Medicine have developed a simple improvement to fluorescent biosensors prevalent in both medical and scientific research, making it easy for scientists to study biological processes, develop new treatments, explore the happenings within individual cells, and solve other problems connected to different diseases. The biosensors can detect individual targets inside a cell and illuminates them, allowing scientists to monitor and measure biological occurrences that have otherwise been impossible. Researchers Shen Zhang and Hui-wang Ai found that adding 3-aminotyrosine turned the green biosensor red, as explained in the research paper published earlier this month. They tested their enhanced biosensor on insulin-making cells in the pancreas and were able to track the effect of high levels of glucose on the cells.

This week, a team from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Duke University has fabricated a novel type of genetically-encoded neural biosensor operating in near-infrared light. The biosensor will help in the non-invasive study of neuron firing at deeper levels in a living brain while tracking the oxygen consumption. The researchers hope that these near-infrared biosensors will become key molecular tools to be used in animal models of human diseases and cognitive neuroscience research, which will help scientists see the mechanisms of different behavioral and emotional regulation in the brain. These developments and the subsequent advancements in the application of biosensors would be a significant driver for the growth of the biosensors market in the following years.