LG Innotek Develops Hybrid Lenses for Autonomous Driving

South Korea’s LG Innotek has announced it has developed new types of high-performance hybrid lenses for autonomous driving that have reduced size and thickness, while increasing price competitiveness compared to existing products on the market.

The company said it developed new lenses for its driver monitoring system (DMS) and advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). LG Innotek said it cross-applied plastic and glass inside the lens, while other lenses use only glass to prevent structural deformation due to alteration in temperature or external force.

The company said it is the first in the industry to apply plastic materials to ADAS lenses in high resolution (8 megapixels). Given that cameras are increasingly being used inside the car, the new lenses will give automakers more flexibility in vehicle design.

“The high-performance lenses are 20% to 30% thinner than all-glass products,” said Jeong Cheol-dong, CEO of LG Innotek. “As they get thinner, they have the advantage of increased freedom in interior and exterior designs. The higher level of self-driving, the more sensing the devices will be used. So it is important to reduce the size of the parts.”

LG Innotek said it increased the performance of its new lenses to match all-glass lenses with technology that maintains consistent performance regardless of the temperature. The company said it aims to employ the camera lenses in autonomous vehicles mounted in camera modules. In Europe, all vehicles are recommended to be equipped with DMS after 2025.

“We expect LG Innotek’s high-performance hybrid lens, which has overcome the limitations of plastic with innovative technologies, to create a huge wave in the market,” said Kang Min-seok, CTO of LG Innotek.

For more details on the company, visit the LG Innotek website here.