ADAS Cameras: How They Work and Why They Need Calibration
Modern cars are more intelligent than ever before. With ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems), it’s like having an in-built assistant who guides you on roadway hazards or when to decelerate and change lanes. It also advises you on how to park your car and, occasionally, even takes these actions on your behalf.
Today’s sophisticated ADAS technologies rely on cameras, sensors, and radars to collect information from the environment and surroundings. As a result, an ADAS system calibration is often necessary to ensure your system’s proper operation and optimal results.
In this article, we discuss the function of ADAS cameras and why their calibration is so vital.
What is an ADAS Camera?
An Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) camera records and collects the data needed to provide safety warnings for different features. These include automatic emergency braking, blind spot alerts, lane departure warning, pedestrian detection, and more.
Depending on the vehicle, forward-facing cameras, and rear-mounted cameras are primarily used. The forward-facing camera is one of the most integral components of ADAS and is usually mounted to the windshield's interior.
Ensuring these cameras are properly functioning is critical to the correct operation of ADAS. A malfunction in any of the sensors or cameras could pose a severe safety hazard.
How do ADAS Cameras Work?
An ADAS camera continuously captures images and video of the road and its surroundings. An onboard computer then processes the captured footage, identifying objects, people, vehicles, and other crucial information.
The computer also uses an algorithm to determine the distance between the vehicle and these objects.
All this information is fused with additional data from the radars and other sensors and is then utilized by the ADAS system to respond accurately and make real-time decisions like initiating an action or prompting the driver.
What is ADAS Camera Calibration?
ADAS systems provide drivers with convenience and ease. However, regular checkups and calibrations are essential to fully and safely utilize these features in the long term.
The ADAS camera calibration is a process that involves adjusting the cameras installed on a vehicle to ensure precision in detecting objects and obstacles on the road. It includes physical alignment, configuring the components, and testing them.
The procedure requires specialized equipment and high attention to detail. It needs to be performed by trained technicians.
Here are a few reasons why ADAS camera calibration is necessary:
Accuracy: To achieve maximum accuracy in perceiving and identifying objects and potential collision risks on the road.
Safety: Cameras with inaccurate calibration may give incorrect, untimely, or delayed warnings. This may lead to confusion, bad decisions, and severe accidents on the road.
Manufacturer’s requirements: After certain types of repairs or maintenance, such as a windshield replacement, manufacturers often require an ADAS system calibration for proper alignment and functionality.
When to get an ADAS Calibration?
ADAS sensors can get easily disrupted. Besides, the damage to the system is not always visible. Any time your vehicle has been in a collision, even a minor one, an ADAS system calibration is recommended.
Most manufacturers recommend a calibration when any of the following occurs:
- Windshield replacement
- A car accident or fender bender.
- Whenever your vehicle undergoes repairs, wheel alignment, or component replacements.
It’s essential to consider getting your ADAS cameras calibrated if you notice a delay in their performance or if they’re not working the way they were designed to.
Choose Caliber
Considering all the safety implications, ADAS calibration should be more important than cosmetic repairs. Your vehicle not being able to detect a potential hazard such as a child walking in the street or in your lane of traffic is more critical than repairing a scratch in the paint on your driver’s side door.
If you’re needing a glass repair, replacement and calibration, click here for a free estimate and our team will be ready to answer any additional questions.