ADAS, the new buzzword

Vijay C Roy

In 2022, a total of 4,61,312 road accidents were reported across the country, resulting in 1,68,491 deaths and causing injuries to 4,43,366 persons. Cars, including utility vehicles, were involved in 29,005 accidents (10,174 deaths) — the second highest number after two-wheelers. According to analysts, most road accidents occur due to human error. Structural safety is critical but car makers are also working on active safety, or preventing accidents.

The Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is gaining popularity as the technology enhances vehicular safety by preventing or reducing the impact of potential accidents. The safety feature also attempts to minimise human error by assisting the driver in multiple ways. ADAS integrates sensors, cameras, radars, and communication systems to provide real-time feedback, alerts and interventions to drivers, reducing human error and enhancing vehicle safety.

Originally a feature of luxury cars like Mercedes and Volvo, the ADAS system is now available for mid-size utility vehicles (UVs) and models such as Mahindra XUV700, MG Motor (Hector, Astor and Gloster), Tata Motors (Harrier and Safari), Honda Cars (City and Elevate), and Hyundai Motor (Verna and Venue).

ADAS is an active safety feature which enables the car to take certain preventive actions like emergency braking in its own hands. ADAS can also give the driver warnings about approaching vehicles and detect when the driver is starting to fall asleep at the wheel. It aids the driver in steering, braking, accelerating, parking, navigation and alerts them of any potential hazard.

All of this is done through various sensors placed in the car that monitor the surroundings. While fully-automated cars are still some decades away, the introduction of automated driving functions like lane assist, cruise control, park assist and Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) will be more frequent in mass market cars going forward.

Levels of automation

ADAS has various levels depending on the degree of automation that a vehicle has been programmed to perform. Generally, there are six levels of ADAS. Level 2 ADAS vehicles can support long highway drives by automatically accelerating and slowing down the vehicle by way of detecting the objects around. The Indian automobile industry is at a nascent stage in terms of penetration of ADAS features. The current level of automation suggests that the technology levels L1 and L2 are making inroads, mainly in the premium SUV and sedan segments. On the other hand, adoption in the hatchback segment is minimal, with the adaption level still at L0.

Globally, ADAS has been in use for a long time, with the US, China and Europe leading innovations. The trend has been picking up in India as well, with passenger vehicles (PVs) with ADAS features contributing to almost 2 per cent of total PV sales in the country as of fiscal 2023, according to CRISIL. As per its assessment, homegrown manufacturer Mahindra is leading the pack in terms of market share with its XUV 7OO model at 40-50 per cent, followed by Morris Garages with its four models (Astor, Hector, ZS EV and Gloster) at 20-30 per cent, and Honda at the third spot with its Honda City model at 10-20 per cent. Players such as Tata Motors, Hyundai and Toyota (Innova HyCross) have also joined the ADAS bandwagon.

Market size of components

The market size of ADAS components is expected to grow over six times by fiscal 2028. CRISIL Market Intelligence & Analytics (MI&A) pegs the market size for ADAS components at $169 million for fiscal 2023, which is projected to grow to $1 billion by fiscal 2028, up six times.

Based on CRISIL’s assessment and interactions, mid-size and UV segments are expected to register the highest ADAS penetration at 15-20 per cent and 10-15 per cent, respectively, by fiscal 2028, growing from 5-10 per cent and 4-8 per cent as of fiscal 2023. Compact UV and hatchback/small cars segment will see an increase of 6-10 per cent and 4-6 per cent, respectively, in ADAS penetration by 2028 from 0 per cent and 1 per cent, respectively, as of 2023.

Plans lined up

Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) say they have plans to bring more models equipped with ADAS. “HCIL introduced the Advanced Intelligent Safety Technology ‘Honda Sensing’ for the first time in India with Honda City e:HEV. Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), Adaptive Cruise Control, Road Departure Mitigation (RDM), Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) and auto high-beam are its signature features,” says Kunal Behl, vice-president, marketing and sales, Honda Cars India.

In addition to Honda City e:HEV, the technology has been extended to almost all variants of Honda City, including both the CVT (continuously variable/automated transmission) and manual. The most recently launched SUV, Honda Elevate, also features ‘Honda Sensing’ technology along with other advanced safety features. The company plans to offer ADAS application to all future models in India by 2050.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor currently offers the Innova HyCross with ADAS Level 2 capabilities. “As a customer-centric company that prioritises safety of its vehicles and the passengers, we are actively listening to the market and studying the customer usage patterns of ADAS features across various vehicle segments to cater to specific customer needs,” says Atul Sood, vice-president, sales and strategic marketing, at Toyota Kirloskar Motor.

Vinay Pant, head-marketing, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles Ltd, said: “We are also actively working towards making our cars safer at every stage with multiple technological advancements. The testament to our effort lies in the 5-star certification from GNCAP for the new Harrier and Safari, making them the safest cars in India.” Similarly, Gaurav Gupta, deputy managing director, MG Motor India, says, “The introduction of ZS EV, India’s first pure electric Internet SUV, MG Astor with personal AI assistant and ADAS-2, and premium SUV MG Gloster with ADAS (level-1) were pivotal moments, solidifying our position as pioneers in auto tech.”

Stumbling blocks

While the outlook for the industry looks bright, challenges remain. According to analysts, extensive road infrastructure with proper lane markings are needed as most local roads, especially in semi-urban areas, have no lane markings. Also, signboards are not positioned properly and not well maintained for the cameras to read them clearly. Further, standardisation and regulations are the need of the hour to boost confidence among players in the ADAS ecosystem.

Levels of ADAS technology

Level 0: It refers to no driving assistance from the vehicle. The driver performs all the driving tasks. Features are limited to providing warnings such as parking sensors, forward collision warning, tyre pressure monitoring, anti-lock braking system, etc.

Level 1: Vehicles feature automated speed management or cruise control. The driver must take responsibility of controlling the vehicle at any time. These cars can monitor their surroundings, detect vehicles ahead of them and apply brakes in case the other vehicle slows down.

Level 2: The vehicle can perform both steering and acceleration/deceleration. The driver should still monitor and take control at any time. Examples: Traffic jam assist, adaptive cruise control with steering, lane following and centering assist, etc.

Level 3: The vehicle has environment detection capabilities, allowing the vehicle to be driven under specific limited conditions. Examples: Automated lane driving, traffic jam pilot, highway pilot, emergency stop assist.

Level 4: The vehicle performs all driving functions under certain circumstances. However, geofencing is required. Human intervention is still necessary when needed.

Level 5: This can drive the vehicle anywhere and in all conditions. Zero human intervention is required.