Beyond the Lens: Ensuring Trust in ADAS and Autonomous Driving

As vehicles become increasingly reliant on advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and autonomous driving technologies, the reliability of automotive cameras has never been more critical.

These cameras serve as the “eyes” of the vehicle, enabling lane detection, traffic sign recognition, pedestrian detection, and more. Any failure can compromise both safety and compliance.

Why Reliability Testing Matters
Automotive cameras operate under extreme and diverse conditions:

• Temperature cycling from -40°C to +125°C
• Exposure to humidity, water spray, and condensation
• Resistance to UV and solar radiation
• Mechanical stresses such as vibration, shock, and drop impact
• Electrical stress like ESD (electrostatic discharge) and EMC (electromagnetic compatibility)

Reliability testing ensures that these systems maintain consistent performance across their lifecycle, meeting both ISO 16750 and AEC-Q100/Q102 standards.

Typical Reliability Test Scope

1. Environmental Stress Tests – Thermal shock, damp heat, salt spray.
2. Mechanical Reliability – Vibration endurance, mechanical shock, connector robustness.
3. Optical Integrity – Lens adhesion, image quality under stress.
4. Electrical Reliability – Power cycling, voltage fluctuation, ESD/EMC compliance.
5. Long-Term Aging – Accelerated life testing (ALT) to simulate years of usage in weeks.

The Goal: Prove that the camera can withstand the harsh realities of the road, ensuring safety, durability, and customer trust.

As the automotive industry moves closer to L3–L5 autonomous driving, reliability validation will continue to be a cornerstone of product qualification.

Read more: https://via-optronics.com/en/products-technology/camera-portfolio.html