Calterah highlights safety of smart car technology

Chinese semiconductor provider Calterah emphasized safety as the foundation for intelligent technology as it launched new products in Shanghai on Friday.

"Intelligent technology without safety is pointless," said founder and CEO Chen Jiashu, calling on the industry to "collectively dedicate intelligent technologies to the supreme goal of safety".

Against the backdrop of automotive electrification and intelligence, millimeter-wave radar is experiencing rapid growth in installation volume as a core sensor in vehicle active safety systems due to increasing emphasis on driving safety from the industry and consumers.

"We're dedicated to drastically lowering the cost of millimeter-wave radar technology to accelerate the mass deployment of proactive safety systems, which will reduce road incidents and save lives," Chen said.

At the event, Calterah launched three millimeter-wave radar products designed for high-level driving-assist functions and one ultra-wideband (commonly known as UWB) chip.

With two years' research and development, it is the world's first automotive-grade UWB System on Chip adhering to the new international standard.

Xiao Junming, head of advanced connectivity product line at Calterah, said the chip can achieve 400 meters of ranging capability in unobstructed environments. It can also be used as a sensor for in-cabin vital sign detection, foot-kick trunk activation, intrusion detection, and other applications.

Leveraging their advantages in millimeter-wave radar algorithms and antenna technologies, Calterah has applied for more than 60 patents in the UWB field, including two standard-essential patents. The company has obtained more than 600 patents globally.

The cumulative shipment of Calterah's millimeter-wave radar chips has exceeded 19 million units. The company expects annual shipments to reach 16 million units in 2025, with growth more than doubling.

Calterah is providing products to 30 Chinese car brands, with applications in more than 300 models that have a price range of 80,000 yuan ($11,130) to 1,000,000 yuan.

With six years of global operations, Calterah has entered the European market and become a partner of a mainstream traditional automotive parts company.

Industry analysis shows that the global millimeter-wave radar market size is expected to exceed 300 million units by 2029, while the penetration rate of UWB digital key technology is expected to reach 50 percent by 2035.