From 3D to 4D for millimeter wave radar in China

Automotive From 3D to 4D for millimeter wave radar in China

2024-06-18 From Henrik Bork * | Translated by AI 3 min Reading Time

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In China, the trend is moving towards 4D millimeter wave radar, which detects height in addition to distance, speed, and azimuth. Are Chinese manufacturers in the automotive industry putting Tier-1 suppliers like Bosch and ZF under pressure?

4D millimeter wave radar technology is expected to be much cheaper to implement than Lidar technology. That's why the Chinese market is rushing into this topic.(Image: AMS Osram) — 4D millimeter wave radar technology is expected to be much cheaper to implement than Lidar technology. That's why the Chinese market is rushing into this topic.
(Image: AMS Osram)

Henrik Bork, long-time China correspondent for the German 'Süddeutsche Zeitung' and the 'Frankfurter Rundschau', is Managing Director at Asia Waypoint, a consultancy agency specializing in China based in Beijing.

The trend from 3D to 4D millimeter wave radar in China is accelerating. In quick succession, car manufacturers like SAIC, BYD, Li Auto, and Geely have launched new car models with 4D-MW on the market.

In total, there are now about 100 different 4D-MW products in China, produced by international Tier-1 suppliers or Chinese startups. For some manufacturers, sales of the devices have increased by 500% within a year, according to the Chinese automotive newspaper Zhongguo Qiche Bao.

The recent introduction of a high-precision device of this kind by Huawei Qiankun, the "Smart Car" brand of the Chinese technology corporation, also rekindled interest in the technology during the Beijing Auto Show.

Overall, however, 3D-MW radar devices can still sufficiently satisfy the current requirements of the Chinese industry, where autonomous driving functions of levels 1 and 2 are just becoming the standard. 4D-MW is currently still seen as a "nice additional option" and has not really arrived in the mass market yet—but is slowly but surely finding more and more followers.

Distance, speed, azimuth, height

As competition in the Chinese car market, especially in the e-mobility sector, continues to intensify, intelligent driving functions and the necessary sensors are becoming more and more of a distinguishing feature. Also, the prices for the 4D devices continue to fall.

Technically, the upgrade has clear advantages. The fourth, new dimension compared to 3D is the height recognition of objects, in addition to the existing dimensions of distance, speed, and azimuth. At the same time, the precision of the entire environment perception increases with 4D.

Especially in darkness and bad weather, a system equipped with 4D-MW can detect objects more reliably and quickly, thereby increasing the safety for drivers and car passengers.

"4D millimeter wave imaging has clear advantages over Lidar and the costs are relatively low," the Chinese car newspaper quotes Lin Sen, an expert from the "Guangdong New Energy Vehicle Development and Research Center".

Lower costs than Lidar

The last point, which is about costs, has become increasingly important recently. One way to cope with the harsh price competition in the Chinese car market is the so-called "hardware reduction".

A 4D-MW radar only costs about a tenth of what a Lidar device costs. This is now making the technology attractive to more and more OEMs. Currently, a typical 4D-MW radar costs around 1,000 yuan (about 130 euros/approx. 139 million USD), reports the specialist medium Bandaoti Chanye Zongheng. The cheapest devices from start-ups are available from 690 yuan (about 90 euros / approx. 96,5 USD), while devices from Tier-1 suppliers like Continental or ZF currently cost between 1,036 and 1,381 yuan (134 to 178 euros / 143 to 191 USD), writes the specialist portal. This is about a tenth of what a typical Lidar costs.

China's investment in 4D-MW

For all these reasons, the trend of large investments in new manufacturers of 4D-MW radar devices continues in the Chinese industry. Last year, NIO and Xiaomi together invested more than 100 million yuan (about 13 million euros / approx. 13.9 million USD) in SINPRO.

Hesai Technology has invested in the 4D startup Altos Radar. The technology company Baidu has become involved in the startup G-PAL. In total, about a dozen companies in the People's Republic have received new investor funds over the past twelve months to develop 4D-MW radar products.

Some of the bustling Chinese startups in this new market segment are WHST, Oculii, Muniu Tech, Chengtai Technology, Zongmu Technology, Xingyidao and the already mentioned SINPRO.

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Together with the new interest from Huawei in China and also Mobileye in 4D-MW, this means significantly increased competition for traditional Tier-1 suppliers like Bosch, Continental, Aptiv and ZF, who have invested in this technology early on.