Compact illumination and camera systems for 2D and 3D sensing in automobile applications

The use of optical sensor principles in automotive applications is growing fast due to the increasing demand for driver assistance and passenger security systems. Automotive applications demand for compact, low volume or particularly flat microoptical systems for recognition of passengers and obstacles, measuring distances, eye movements etc. The optical concepts need to reach a high level of optical- and opto-electronic integration and demand a high degree of modularity to be able to address different requirements in a flexible way. In this context, the design and realization of several compact optical modules for the sensor as well as for the illumination side are presented, e.g. a wide angle camera optics (FOV = 90° and f-number = 1.1), laser and LED-based illumination modules and an ultra thin camera of 0,2 mm length, based on the apposition eye principle. The specification of these microoptical modules is oriented to fulfil physical as well as economical requirements. In particular, a great compactness and easy scalable fabrication technologies are essential to fulfil the different boundary constraints.