NOA sensor configurations in 2023
NOA (navigation-assisted driving) became a central focus of the 2023 ADAS market. Zosi Automotive Research summarized the main NOA sensor configuration schemes on the market. For highway NOA, configurations include 5V5R, 6V1R, 6V5R, 7V5R, 9V5R, 10V1R, 10V3R, 10V5R, 11V5R, 12V5R, and 13V5R. For urban NOA, configurations include 7V1R, 11V1R, 11V1R1L, 11V5R1L, 11V5R2L, 12V5R, 12V5R2L, 12V6R1L, and 12V6R3L. For each configuration, the report analyzes supported ADAS functions, vehicle models, distinguishing characteristics, and installation volumes.
Stronger sensor setups enable stronger ADAS functions
Although systems are labeled as highway NOA or urban NOA, differences in sensor configurations lead to substantially different functional capabilities.
Cost reduction and configuration changes
Since 2023, cost reduction and configuration simplification have been notable trends in ADAS. More specifically, camera counts have both increased and decreased depending on the program, while radar counts have generally been reduced. For example, Baidu's ANP 2.0 evolved from a 9V5R scheme to a 10V5R production configuration. Tesla increased cameras from the HW3.0 8+1 setup to 11+1 in HW4.0. The HW3.0 front triple-camera became a stereo pair, with two additional side cameras and one Sony IMX490 front camera; the front camera resolution was raised from 1.2 MP to 5 MP. Tesla has also started a vision-based occupancy network to replace ultrasonic sensor input.
Horizon Robotics' latest HP570 scheme (1 millimeter-wave radar, 11 high-definition cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors) reduced total sensor count compared with the previous HP550 scheme (2 LiDARs, 5 millimeter-wave radars, 12 high-definition cameras, 12 ultrasonics), lowering compute requirements and increasing the use of large models. Huawei evolved from ADS1.0 to ADS2.0, changing its sensor suite from 12V6R3L to 11V3R1L, removing 2 LiDARs, a front stereo pair, and 3 millimeter-wave radars.
LiDAR route versus pure vision route
The report dedicates a chapter to comparing the LiDAR route with the pure vision route, analyzing the scenarios where each performs better and their deployment status in production vehicles. Each route has trade-offs and advantages, so neither will universally replace the other. Different vehicle price segments are likely to adopt different solutions. Currently, vehicles equipped with LiDAR are mostly priced above CNY 300,000.
8MP cameras likely to become standard for urban NOA
The report also examined ADAS sensor market data for January–September 2023, supplier activity, and industry trends for cameras, millimeter-wave radar, and LiDAR. On the camera side, 8MP cameras are emerging as a standard for urban NOA. XPeng, Li Auto, NIO, AITO, and IM Motors use 8MP front cameras. Vehicles using Mobileye SuperVision, such as Zeekr 001/009 and the Smart Jingling 1# Platinum edition, deploy up to seven 8MP cameras to meet urban NOA perception needs. Suppliers of 8MP cameras include Sunny Optical and OFILM.
On September 23, Paolong Technology announced it secured 8MP camera supply positions with two automakers in China. These orders include a triple-front 8MP camera and a single-front 8MP camera, with combined project lifecycle contract value exceeding CNY 200 million.
Triple-front 8MP camera: awarded by leading domestic brands, three vehicle models, five-year lifecycle, lifecycle contract value exceeding CNY 200 million. The first model is scheduled for production by the end of 2023, with two additional models planned for 2024.
Single-front 8MP camera: awarded by a new-entrant automaker, six-year lifecycle, lifecycle contract value of CNY 30 million, planned production by the end of 2024.
