1. What is the industry’s minimum requirement for safe ADAS radar?
Dr. Jürgen Dickmann, Head of Radar and Radar-Perception at Mercedes-Benz Group, has publicly stated that advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) require an array of no fewer than 32×32 channels. Furthermore, the antenna must be dense to avoid spatial ambiguity, a standard that underscores the necessity of high-channel-count technology for the future of automotive safety.
2. How effective are current partial driving automation systems according to the IIHS?
A March 2024 report from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) revealed worrying results: out of 14 partial driving automation systems tested, only one earned an “acceptable” rating. Eleven systems were rated as “poor,” highlighting a critical reliability gap in the hands-off and eyes-off features currently hitting the roadways.
3. Why can’t “Imaging Radars” with 192 or 256 channels meet L3 requirements?
While radars with 12×16 or 16×16 configurations (192-256 channels) improve basic features like emergency braking, they still demonstrate significant reliability gaps. These limited arrays struggle with dynamic range and sidelobe reduction, often forcing manufacturers to impose speed limitations on hands-free features because the sensors cannot reliably detect small objects in complex environments.
4. What is the “spatial ambiguity” problem in lower-channel radars?
To avoid inherent spatial ambiguity—where the radar misinterprets the location or existence of an object—the antenna array must be dense and meet specific physical criteria (λ/2 spacing). Massive channel arrays fulfill these requirements, ensuring that the data processed by the vehicle is accurate and free from the “ghost reflections” that plague traditional sensors.
5. How does a massive channel array improve sensor fusion with cameras?
Sensor fusion requires a robust, high-density point cloud to “match” the detail provided by cameras. A massive channel array radar provides 10s to 100s of detections per object, creating a data-rich environment that allows the vehicle’s AI to cross-reference sensor inputs with extreme precision, achieving the safety levels demanded by IIHS ratings.
6. Can radar technology detect small obstacles at a distance?
Yes, but only with high-resolution perception radar. Arbe’s technology pinpoint smaller road users like pedestrians and cyclists—even in total darkness or adverse weather—and can accurately identify small obstacles and object boundaries from long distances where traditional radars would see only “blurry” interference.
7. What makes Arbe’s chipset the industry leader in channel count?
Arbe’s proprietary chipset includes a 24-channel Tx chip and a 12-channel Rx chip that together create a 2,304-channel array. This is the largest channel array in the automotive industry, specifically designed to process massive amounts of data—up to 3Tb/s—to support L2+ through L5 autonomy.
8. What is “Free Space Mapping” in the context of radar?
Free Space Mapping is the ability of a sensor to identify the “drivable” area around a vehicle. Arbe’s perception radar offers the industry’s only radar-based free space solution that works at long range and with a wide field of view, regardless of lighting or weather conditions that would typically blind a camera.
9. How does Arbe achieve 100x the data density without increasing cost or size?
By moving away from legacy “off-the-shelf” components and engineering a purpose-built radar chipset from the ground up, Arbe delivers a hundredfold increase in point cloud density while maintaining a competitive cost, physical size, and power consumption profile comparable to much lower-performing “4D” radars.
10. Why are automakers moving toward massive channel arrays instead of relying solely on LiDAR?
Recent automotive RFQs (Requests for Quotation) show that manufacturers are mandating higher channel counts for radar rather than relying on LiDAR to solve safety problems. Radar’s ability to work in all weather conditions, combined with the high resolution of a massive array, makes it the most reliable foundation for the next generation of safety.
Massive Channel Array Radar Mandatory for the Future of Automotive Safety
During his presentation at the Tech.Ad conference on March 11, 2024, Dr. Jürgen Dickmann, Head of Radar and Radar-Perception at Mercedes-Benz Group, delved into the future requirements of automotive radar technology. He emphasized that the performance demands for ADAS radars necessitate an array of no fewer than 32×32 channels, and that the antenna must be dense to avoid inherent spatial ambiguity within the radar data. Dr. Dickmann’s statement was a bold one, an industry leader of his stature publicly recognized the indispensability of a high-channel-count radar.
Car manufacturers across the industry are actively pursuing solutions to enhance the reliability of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and automated driving (AD), launching hands-off driving features and aspiring to eyes-off features (L3). Unfortunately, the results so far should be cause for concern. A recent release of Partial Driving Automation Safeguard Ratings by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluated the safety performance of partial driving automation systems in vehicles. Out of the first 14 systems tested, only one earned an “acceptable” rating. Two were rated “marginal,” and 11 were rated “poor.” As stated by IIHS – “These results are worrying, considering how quickly vehicles with these partial automation systems are hitting our roadways.”
Source: IIHS Partial Automation Safeguard Ratings March 12, 2024
The automotive industry needs reliable sensing technology to improve safety outcomes for hands-off and eyes-off features. A massive channel array radar is that technology. It provides not only the standard radar benefits of extending detection range beyond cameras and lidar while also improving detection capabilities in adverse weather and lighting conditions, but also provides superior data redundancy and diversity and support sensor fusion. In fact, additional automakers have already added a minimum number of channels to their next generation radar RFQs, demonstrating that they will not rely on Lidar to solve the safety problem.
Legacy – or “traditional” – radars do extend detection range and improve detection capabilities in all environmental conditions, but they face significant performance issues. These include low azimuth resolution, limited range, absence of elevation dimension, and a high rate of false alarms. To address these limitations, some vendors are adopting radar solutions with a higher number of RF channels, typically ranging from 12×16 or 16×16. These solutions are sometimes referred as “Imaging Radar” as they provide better resolution and elevation capabilities (although still limited) compared to legacy radars, enhancing performance for basic ADAS features like automatic emergency braking (AEB) and automatic cruise control (ACC).
However, we believe the use of 16×12 radar systems for this purpose has demonstrated reliability gaps and necessitated the imposition of speed limitations. This is because hands-free (and, eventually, eyes-off) features demand even more advanced performance in terms of resolution and sidelobe reduction. Detecting small objects in challenging environments presents radar detection challenges, including dynamic range issues, the separation of multiple targets, considerations of elevation, and more. Further, achieving enhancement in advanced driving solutions necessitates sensor fusion. Sensor fusion demands a robust point cloud, which cannot be achieved without employing a wide channel array and a powerful radar processor.
Virtual Channels are λ/2 Apart
In comparison, we believe the benefits of a significantly higher number of channels are game-changing.
When paired with cameras in the sensor suite, a massive channel array radar ensures superior data redundancy and diversity, becoming indispensable to sensor fusion to achieve a safety level of AD and AV features, meeting the IIHS Partial Driving Automation Safeguard Ratings.
To date, very few wide array solutions have been announced, and Arbe offers the largest array to fit the 32*32 minimum requirement.
Arbe’s radar technology, designed to offer an optimal radar solution for L2+ and up to L5, is based on its proprietary chipset. The chipset includes a high port density RF chip with 24 channels Tx chip and a 12-channel Rx chip. Together, they create a channel array of 2,304 channels — the largest channel array in the industry. This is paired with a dedicated radar processor, designed with capability to process over the data generated, equivalent to 3Tb/s.
By harnessing cutting-edge radar technology and meticulously engineering a next-generation radar chipset to meet the rigorous demands of AD and AV performance, Arbe offers an optimal solution to traditional design obstacles. This breakthrough technology represents the innovation clearly required in the automotive market.
The future of ADAS and AV hinges on high-channel count radars. Arbe’s 2,304 Massive MIMO (48*48) Radar stands out for offering a hundred times the density, while maintaining competitive cost, size, and power. The choice is clear. By integrating high-channel-count radar systems now, automakers can position themselves at the forefront of autonomous driving technology.
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This blog contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, both as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “may,” “should,” “strategy,” “future,” “will,” “project,” “potential” and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the risk and uncertainties resulting from the October 7th attack upon Israel, conflicts and potential conflicts involving Israel and the effect of the reaction to the war against Hamas on Israeli companies, particularly high tech companies as well as market acceptance of Arbe’s radar processor and Arbe’s radar processor performing in the manner which Arbe anticipates, and the risk and uncertainties described in “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” “Item 5. Operating and Financial Review and Prospects” and Item 3. Key Information – Risk Factors” Arbe’s Annual Report on Form 20-F/A for the year ended December 31, 2022, which was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 16, 2023 as well as other documents filed by Arbe with the SEC. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and Arbe does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation. Information contained on, or that can be accessed through, Arbe’s website or any other website or social media is expressly not incorporated by reference into and is not a part of this blog.
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