Subaru and Xilinx to produce new EyeSight system

20 August 2020

Subaru and technology company Xilinx are partnering up to produce an updated vision-based advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS). This will be a fresh version of the carmaker’s EyeSight technology, which will be integrated into the upcoming Levorg estate.

This system will provide advanced features including adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist and pre-collision braking. The technology will debut on the Japanese market, as its functions have been initially developed for the country’s specific roads and driving conditions. Plans are underway to prepare these functions for other markets.

Advancing the capabilities of its EyeSight system plays into a plan Subaru announced at the beginning of this year. The carmaker stated it looks to develop its core technologies, including driving performance and safety devices, the EyeSight driver-assistance system and environmental technologies.

Peace of mind

Tetsuo Fujinuki, chief technology officer at Subaru, explained ADAS is a key component when it comes to providing enjoyment and peace of mind to the carmaker’s customers. At the centre of this system lies stereo cameras, which will now be powered by Xilinx’s UltraScale multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC).

Introduced in the US in 2012, the EyeSight system works off two interior cameras positioned at the top of the windshield by the rear-view mirror. Facing outwards, these units scan the road ahead for objects like other vehicles and people.

′Unlike common approaches, the image processing technology adopted in our new generation system scans everything captured by stereo cameras and creates high-precision 3D point clouds, enabling us to offer advanced features such as pre-collision braking at an intersection and assisting with hands-off driving in traffic congestion on a highway,’ said Fujinuki.

′Xilinx technology plays an important role in this. Because Xilinx automotive devices contain built-in capabilities that allow us to meet strict ASIL requirements, they are unquestionably the best technology to implement Subaru’s new ADAS vision system.’

ASIL refers to the Automotive Safety Integrity Level, which is a risk classification system defined by the ISO 26262 standard for the safety of road vehicles.

Multiprocessor system-on-chip upgrade

The MPSoC provided by Xilinx enables high-performance, ultra-low latency, and functional safety capabilities that EyeSight requires to accurately depict and react to dynamic driving scenarios.

′We are excited to see Xilinx automotive devices enabling the new generation of automotive safety for Subaru,’ said Yousef Khalilollahi, vice president of sales for Xilinx in the Asia-Pacific region. ′Subaru’s name has long been synonymous with road safety and reliability, and we’re proud that our XA products have been selected to continue our shared vision of providing drivers with the most advanced safety features on the market.’

Xilinx has over 20 years of automotive industry experience. Cumulatively, it has shipped more than 190 million devices globally for automotive use, with 75 million used in ADAS applications. The company works with over 200 automotive companies including Daimler, Continental and Veoneer.