Research Overview

Sensor fusion is needed to ensure low latency in mission-critical applications such as autonomous vehicles and for effective decision-making by smart devices. Sensor fusion combines and processes multiple signals from various sources, carries out raw data fusion, and analyzes the data before enabling an effective response from the system about the perceived environment.

Sensor fusion finds its prime applications in the automotive industry for advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) applications, such as automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. However, the technology’s ability to work in a dynamic environment, such as in autonomous vehicles, expands its applicability into the healthcare (smart hospitals), manufacturing (paving the way for lights-out manufacturing), and smart city industries.

The top imperatives for sensor fusion companies are threefold: first, make direct investments in not only development activities but in minimizing the cost of hardware; second, simplify architectures; and third, engage in market expansion, which would prove critical to extending the technology’s applicability. As its availability increases, its cost will decrease.