The automotive industry continues to be a hotbed of patent innovation. Activity in 3D position detection is driven by safety, efficiency and overall performance of autonomous vehicles and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and growing importance of technologies such as Light detection and ranging (LiDAR), structured light 3D scanning, stereo vision, and time of flight (TOF) sensors. In the last three years alone, there have been over 720,000 patents filed and granted in the automotive industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Artificial intelligence in automotive: 3D position detection. Buy the report here.
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However, not all innovations are equal and nor do they follow a constant upward trend. Instead, their evolution takes the form of an S-shaped curve that reflects their typical lifecycle from early emergence to accelerating adoption, before finally stabilizing and reaching maturity.
Identifying where a particular innovation is on this journey, especially those that are in the emerging and accelerating stages, is essential for understanding their current level of adoption and the likely future trajectory and impact they will have.
300+ innovations will shape the automotive industry
According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which plots the S-curve for the automotive industry using innovation intensity models built on over one million patents, there are 300+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Within the emerging innovation stage, self-driving neural networks, autonomous lane changing and AV simulation and testing are disruptive technologies that are in the early stages of application and should be tracked closely. Predictive acceleration control, collaborative autonomous driving, and AV perception and control systems are some of the accelerating innovation areas, where adoption has been steadily increasing.
Innovation S-curve for artificial intelligence in the automotive industry
3D position detection is a key innovation area in artificial intelligence
3D position detection refers to the process of accurately identifying and locating objects in a three-dimensional space through the use of sensors such as cameras and LiDAR and generating point clouds that represent the objects in the space.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 415+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established automotive companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of 3D position detection.
Key players in 3D position detection – a disruptive innovation in the automotive industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of applications identified for each patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of countries each patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to 3D position detection
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
Baidu is one of the leading patent filers in 3D position detection. Baidu's Apollo project for autonomous vehicles is an open-source platform aimed at accelerating the development of autonomous vehicles. It includes a range of technologies for 3D position detection, such as LiDAR and radar-based perception systems, high-definition mapping, and sensor fusion algorithms. Baidu has been making significant strides in making autonomous driving safer and more accurate through the use of these technologies. Faro Technologies, Alphabet, and Sony are some of the other key patent filers in 3D position detection.
In terms of application diversity, Faro Technologies leads the pack, while Sony and Topcon stood in the second and third positions, respectively. By means of geographic reach, TomTom held the top position, followed by Halliburton and Konecranes.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the automotive industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Automotive.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
