On January 9, Asahi Kasei Corporation (Japan) announced the creation of a semiconductor chip that allows car systems to detect children left behind in cars with 75% higher accuracy. compared to current products.
Currently, many tragic accidents occur due to the forgetfulness or complacency of parents, leaving children in the car leading to death due to suffocation or explosion,… Therefore, to prevent the above risks, some semiconductor chip companies have researched and developed warning solutions to help prevent unfortunate accidents from occurring. In which Infineon Technology (Germany) and Texas Instruments (USA) are two prominent giants in this field.
Following that, the beginning of 2024 marked the entry of Asahi Kasei (Japan) into the semiconductor chip market to help detect children in cars, with the AK5818 chip product. AK5818 was developed by Asahi Kasei Microdevices – a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei, with the support of expertise in detection methods by startup company Pontosense (Canada).
The AK5818 chip uses millimeter waves to detect objects. Exclusive frequency control technology allows the AK5818 chip to detect objects and small movements such as a child’s breathing. Since then, the AK5818 is considered to have a 75% higher accuracy level than other semiconductor chips with similar functions on the market. AK5818 is expected to contribute greatly to reducing accident risks for children when using cars.
Asahi Kasei hopes to start mass production of the AK5818 chip in October 2024, in the worldwide context of tightening regulations to prevent accidental deaths, Nikkei Asia reported. .
According to Global Information- a research enterprise, the global market size for such auto accident detection systems is expected to reach $83.13 billion by 2030, 27 times more than that in 2022.
With the increasing demand for millimeter wave detection technology, Asahi Kasei aims to triple sales of related products from fiscal year 2023 to 2030.
Asahi Kasei hopes to exploit its sensor technologies to penetrate a market that already has the presence of big names such as Infineon Technologies (Germany), and Texas Instruments (USA). In addition, Asahi Kasei also has high hopes that this chip will be used in high-level surveillance systems.