Fully autonomous cars may be a decade away, but the sensors they’ll need for collision avoidance — radar, cameras, ultrasound and lidar — have become a big business already.
Global sales of anti-crash sensors will total $9.90 billion in 2020 — up from $3.94 billion this year, predicts IHS Automotive, a research firm based in suburban Detroit.
Radar and cameras will account for the lion’s share of that revenue, followed by ultrasound and lidar, according to the IHS forecast.
Lidar, the sensor of choice used on Google’s driverless car, will generate relatively small sales by 2020. It uses pulsed laser light to measure distances.
Markets in North America and Europe will account for most sensor sales in the short run, with China likely to start catching up as regulators issue tougher safety rules.