Currently, many vehicles are incredibly futuristic as they are capable of carrying out maneuvers as complicated as parking on their own, in addition to warning if there are other cars or pedestrians on the asphalt that we have not been able to see ourselves. Nevertheless, the correct operation of all this new technology depends a lot on the atmospheric or light conditions outside, as long as their cameras can capture everything perfectly.
The next-generation optical sensors that Fraunhofer Labs is developing will have far fewer limitations in the future. They will be small enough to be installed directly on the windshield, at the height of the interior rear view mirror. These mini-cameras, they will be able to capture and study images thanks to a monitoring of black points of vision, which can be used to check and analyze the atmospheric conditions outside.
These mini-cameras will also be able to elucidate if the light outside the car is insufficient in such a way that it will be able to automatically turn on the fog lights, and if necessary, the emergency lights. Some cars in their most exclusive version are seriously equipped with similar sensors, although the ones being developed by Fraunhofer will be used directly in production at a high level since they are of a much lower cost and will have a much longer duration being of simpler construction.
The system of these mini-cameras with sensors will be made up of infrared LEDs and two others with lenses. They will emit small beams of light that, when bouncing, will give the necessary information to act. The project has the patronage of the European Union and is currently in the testing phase.