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Percept Sensors: Vehicle Sensing Solutions

Percept Sensors from Molex comprise a sensor family targeted for the transportation industry, using accelerometers and microphones to support safety, automated driving, road noise cancelling and machine health.

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Product Highlights

Sensor Types:Key Features:
Interior acoustic noise cancellation (ANC)
Exterior acoustic noise cancellation (ANC)
Road noise cancellation (RNC)
Road noise cancellation with accelerometer and microphone (RNC-AM) 
TouCH sensors		IP6K9K rating
Daisy-chained sensor design
A2B digital communication protocol
Signal to noise ratio of 65 dB(A)

Features and Benefits

Road Noise Cancellation

Ultra-quite cabins with a lack of combustion engine noise, amplify unwanted road and structural noises. Percept Sensors capture these noises and enable a reduction of perceived sound by signaling intelligent audio algorithms which, in turn, project cancelling waves through the vehicle audio system. Noise and vibration have a major effect on driver fatigue, so solving the problem of noise is not just a matter of comfort, it is also beneficial with respect to road safety.

Advanced Driver-Assist Systems (ADAS) Solutions

While most ADAS and autonomous driving (AV) systems use line-of-sight devices like cameras, radar or LiDAR, the Percept system employs microphones to “see with sound.” Using intelligent algorithms, the system can identify objects that are out of sight or around blind corners, like an approaching emergency vehicle or a cyclist, and alert the driver or take precautionary action.

Enhancing Machine Health and Diagnostic Capability

Percept Sensors engage with the vehicle to enhance machine health, with condition-based monitoring capabilities that can improve safety and reliability while reducing vehicle operating costs and downtime.

  • Fleet and commercial vehicles can use the condition-based monitoring system to reduce vehicle operating costs while increasing safety and reliability.
  • Consumers will enjoy the convenience of condition-based monitoring to trigger service response.

TouCH Sensors and Autonomous Driving

Most ADAS/AV sensors are visual components, like cameras, radar and LiDAR. They sense in a spatial environment but do not detect objects close to the surface or ones that make contact. Percept TouCH sensors help fill in the gap that is left with line-of-sight-only sensors. They capture low-energy vibrations created when an object contacts the vehicle and convert them into signals that trigger an appropriate automated response.

Permits low latency and results in less time between the sensor receiving vibrations and the module receiving a notification signal
A2B digital communication protocol

Reduces the harness weight of the vehicle and eliminates heavy star-pattern cabling
Daisy-chained sensor design

Enables the sensor to be placed where needed, protecting against water and dust ingress in harsh environments such as adjacent to the tire
IP6K9K rating

Allows for a cleaner signal, leading to improved system efficiency
Superior packaging design

Features high sensitivity to energy sources, allowing sensor placement farther from the energy source if required
Low noise density excitation

Offers flexibility for parallel or perpendicular sensor positioning relative to the ground to enable mechanical mounting to a vehicle and permit a variety of connector orientations and terminal sizes
Various mechanical housing configurations available

Provides 50% space savings over traditional USCAR 0.64mm connectors and delivers superior signal integrity performance ideal for transportation environments
Exterior sensors mate with 1x4 sealed Mini50 connectors

Provides superior electrical contact reliability, mating retention and space savings compared to competitive versions for high-vibration and high-temperature applications
Interior sensors mate with 1x4 Duraclik connectors

Captures vibration energy transfer from the suspension into the vehicle chassis at the earliest perceptible time, enabling optimal timing of corrective action
4 to 8 sensors located on the chassis frame

Overview

Percept Sensors have been designed to help or replicate the senses of human drivers, the senses of hearing and feeling (or touch) – to simulate the way humans perceive their surroundings. Percept Sensors help fill the gap for ADAS and autonomous vehicle systems that only use line-of-sight sensors to identify a vehicle’s surroundings.

With altered cabin noise levels in EVs due to the lack of an internal combustion engine masking road noise, Percept Sensors enable active noise canceling algorithms to help create an ultra-quiet cabin and reduce driver fatigue.

Autonomous vehicles and ADAS systems need enhanced capabilities to look beyond the line of sight and create a clearer picture of their surroundings. Percept Sensors and proprietary software enable the vehicle to “see with sound”, providing a clearer picture of surroundings and advance warning of potential hazards.

Customers seek improved diagnostic and monitoring methods and real-time reporting of maintenance concerns. Percept Sensors can monitor and identify operational problems before they become obvious to the driver, permitting more effective preventive action.

Customers are looking for reduced-weight devices to improve fuel efficiency, increase EV range and reduce carbon footprints. Percept Sensors enable a 3% to 5% weight reduction through daisy-chain architecture and the removal of noise-dampening materials.

Applications by Industry

Automotive:

Automated parking sensors
Commercial aviation
Condition-based monitoring
Fleet and commercial vehicle monitoring
Incident reporting systems
Off-highway and construction vehicles
Security systems
Train and locomotive monitoring
Vehicle diagnostics
Active noise cancellation
Advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS)
Automated parking sensors
Autonomous vehicles
Condition-based monitoring
In-cabin noise reduction
Incident reporting systems
Safety systems
Security systems
Vehicle diagnostics

This is not a definitive list of applications for this product. It represents some of the more common uses.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Percept system “see with sound”?
Percept Sensors work with advanced software to identify and classify a wide array of sounds, both inside and outside the vehicle. They can help detect the direction, distance and angle of approach of objects outside the vehicle, such as emergency vehicle sirens. This information is fed to the vehicle via low-latency A2B connections to help create a complete picture of the vehicle’s environment.

What type of noises are Percept Sensors able to detect?
Percept Sensors can detect noises across low frequencies, such as road-generated cabin booms; high frequencies, such as those noises generated by electric motors; and everything in between, such as switches, HVAC systems, windshield wipers, wind noise, etc.

What type of road conditions can Percept Sensors monitor and signal to the vehicle?
Percept Sensors can sense wet road conditions due to rain, standing water, snow or ice, and enable algorithms to differentiate between these conditions. Percept Sensors can also detect road surfaces, such as gravel or chip seal, and can sense the roughness of the surface to identify deteriorated road surfaces.

Resources

    Application Brief

    Datasheet (PDF)

    White Paper (PDF)