LG Innotek unveils plastic-glass lenses for self-driving car camera modules

LG Innotek, the electrical component unit of South Korea's LG Group, said on Wednesday that it has developed two types of high-performance hybrid lenses for autonomous driving that use plastic to reduce the lens size and enhance price competitiveness.

The camera lens for self-driving installed in a camera module is a key component of autonomous driving solutions to assist in driving and recognize drivers’ movements and is directly related to passenger safety.

The two types of hybrid lenses are driver monitoring systems (DMSs) and advanced driver support systems (ADASs), which are 20 to 30% thinner than glass-only products and can maintain constant performance regardless of temperature as well as accuracy in recognizing objects.

Unlike conventional lenses, which are made of glass only, the hybrid lens cross-applied thin plastic and glass to improve performance.

LG Innotek described itself as the first company to apply plastic to ADAS lenses for increased performance in a hybrid lens.

"The high-performance hybrid lens, which overcame the limitations of plastic with innovative technology, will have a great impact on the market," said Kang Min-seok, LG Innotek's chief technology officer. 

The company plans to actively target the global camera module market for autonomous driving with an emphasis on customers in the US, Europe, and Japan as well as South Korea.

Global automakers and vehicle parts suppliers are aggressively introducing parts related to DMS and ADAS solutions along with the global trend to upgrade autonomous driving functionalities.

In Europe, DMS is recommended for all vehicles after 2025.

Strategy Analytics, a global market survey firm, forecasts the global self-driving camera market to grow at an average annual rate of 17% from 4.2 trillion won in 2021 to 7.9 trillion won in 2025.

LG Innotek is currently set to mass produce camera modules with DMS lenses and will launch camera modules with ADAS lenses in 2023.

Write to Ji-Eun Jeong at jeong@hankyung.com