Tobii and STMicroelectronics Enter Mass Production of Breakthrough Interior Sensing Technology
Shannon Davis
3 days ago
Tobii and STMicroelectronics today announced the beginning of mass production of an advanced interior sensing system for a premium European carmaker. It integrates a wide field-of-view camera able to see in daylight and at night with next-level driver and occupant monitoring, pushing the boundaries of user experience and safety.
“We’re very proud to bring this groundbreaking system to life. This is more than just technology; it’s a vision,” said Adrian Capata, senior vice president of Tobii Autosense. “Image quality is critical, and thanks to our strong collaboration with ST, we’ve achieved a unique balance that allows a single-camera solution to meet rigorous safety standards, while also unlocking enhanced user experiences. By combining visible and IR sensing, we’re enabling intelligent in-cabin environments that truly understand human presence, behavior, and context.”
“As a result of close collaboration on development and integration with Tobii, we have created a new generation of interior sensing technology that is reliable, user-friendly, and ready for widespread adoption across the automotive industry,” said Alexandre Balmefrezol, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Imaging Sub-Group at STMicroelectronics. “We are now rapidly expanding our production capacity to meet the anticipated demand and ensure a seamless transition to mass manufacturing.”
Technical information on the interior sensing system
Tobii’s and ST’s integrated approach allows automotive OEMs to install just one camera inside the cabin, providing the most mature, efficient, and cost-effective solution available on the market.
The system combines Tobii’s attention-computing technology with STMicroelectronics’ VD1940, an advanced image sensor designed primarily for automotive applications. This sensor features a single 5.1MP hybrid pixel design, sensitive to both RGB (color in daytime) and infrared (IR at nighttime) light. Its wide-angle field of view covers the entire cabin, delivering exceptional image quality. Tobii’s algorithms process dual video streams to support both the Driver Monitoring System (DMS) and Occupancy Monitoring System (OMS).
Tobii, with its automotive business segment Tobii Autosense, is a leading player in automotive interior sensing and has design wins across more than 160 vehicle models with both driver monitoring solutions (DMS) and occupancy monitoring solutions (OMS) shipping in vehicles on the road.
The VD1940 image sensor is part of the SafeSense by ST, an advanced sensing technology platform designed by STMicroelectronics for DMS and OMS. which embeds functional safety and cyber security features and is dedicated to automotive safety applications. With this innovative product portfolio ST is delivering reliable, high-quality, and cost-effective solutions tailored to the automotive industry. As an Integrated Device Manufacturer (IDM), STMicroelectronics masters the complete image sensor supply chain, with full control over both design and manufacturing processes. This ensures supply security through production of its imaging solutions in its European fabs, with these devices already in mass production and ready for integration by Tier 1s and OEMs. |
