The future of the automotive industry is being shaped by rapid advances in technology, promising a new era of safety and convenience. From in-cabin sensing that can detect driver fatigue or forgotten passengers, to increasingly capable advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and the journey towards fully autonomous vehicles, the vision is bold.
But how close are we to turning that vision into a widespread reality? Beyond the conceptual hype, what real-world progress are suppliers making year over year?
Recent press briefings at AutoSens and InCabin offered a valuable snapshot of the industry’s ongoing progress, showcasing some of the most recent developments contributing to the future of road transport.
In-Cabin Monitoring Systems
As regulatory demands and safety expectations grow, driver monitoring systems are becoming essential tools for improving driver awareness and preventing impairment-related incidents.
At InCabin, Smart Eye presented its AI ONE driver monitoring system, which combines camera, sensor, processing hardware, and software into a single compact unit. By removing the need for external ECUs and reducing cabling, AI ONE offers a simpler integration for vehicles with limited space and processing resources. The system also supports direct connection with vehicle networks and real-time coordination with ADAS safety features.
Smart Eye has also upgraded its AIS system to include alcohol impairment detection, along with driver risk assessment and live road condition alerts. Designed for commercial fleets, this system analyses facial and eye movement to detect intoxication. It also provides over-the-air (OTA) update capabilities through built-in cloud connectivity. What’s more, the addition of crash probability scoring helps fleet managers identify and reduce driving risk.
Also contributing to this field, CorrActions is expanding its real-world data collection for alcohol intoxication detection. Its NeuroMonitor software uses neuroscience and deep learning AI to identify multiple types of driver impairment, improving detection accuracy by training on naturalistic driving data collected from multiple geographies. This real-world validation is key for gaining automotive OEM trust for the technology.
Meanwhile, for occupant comfort and safety, trinamiX demonstrated a biometric imaging system that monitors vital signs like heart rate without physical contact, using near-infrared cameras and eye-safe laser projectors. The system can detect signs of stress or medical emergencies, triggering safety interventions as needed. It also integrates 3D distance mapping to optimise airbag deployment and material classification to confirm proper seatbelt use, combining health monitoring and safety.
IEE’s sensor suite offers additional innovation for occupant protection. Its VitaSense radar system can detect the presence of unattended children inside a vehicle to prevent heatstroke, using sensitive radar instead of cameras to maintain privacy and interior aesthetics. This solution responds to the growing demand for discreet, reliable occupant monitoring technologies in vehicles.
Jeff Stover, President of IEE Sensing Inc. said:Our commitment to enhancing occupant safety and comfort remains unwavering. By showcasing our expertise, we aim to highlight our dedication to technological advancement and our role in shaping the future of incabin safety and comfort.
Simulation for In-Cabin Sensor Development
As vehicle systems grow more intelligent, the validation of in-cabin sensors must keep pace. Addressing this need, rFpro is extending its virtual testing capabilities to support the development of interior-facing sensors.
Building on its AV elevate platform, which is already widely used for ADAS and exterior sensor development, rFpro is now integrating near-infrared and thermal infrared sensor models tailored for in-cabin use. This includes simulation of human movement, posture, and skin appearance, which are critical inputs for applications such as child presence detection, vital signs monitoring, and pre-departure readiness verification in autonomous vehicles.
By developing detailed digital twins of vehicle interiors and modelling in-cabin edge cases, rFpro offers manufacturers a tool to train, test, and refine their sensing algorithms before real-world deployment.
Enhancing Vision and Sensing
To enhance the effectiveness of smart, automotive features, robust and reliable vision and sensing technologies enable vehicles to accurately perceive their occupants and their surroundings under a wide range of conditions.
In this space, OmniVision’s automotive camera sensors enable high-resolution, reliable vision systems that capture data needed for real-time decision-making. At InCabin, the company presented its OX01N1B global shutter sensor, which provides a cost-effective, high-performance imaging component for mainstream DMS applications.
Featuring near-infrared quantum efficiency, superior image quality, low power consumption, and compact design, this sensor enables accurate, distortion-free monitoring even in challenging lighting conditions. Its integration into partner products like Smart Eye’s AI ONE highlights its practical impact.
Also at InCabin, STMicroelectronics introduced its SafeSense portfolio of automotive-grade CMOS image sensors. These sensors comply with strict automotive safety standards, including AEC-Q100 and ASIL-B, supporting Euro NCAP requirements. SafeSense sensors aim to deliver high reliability and quality for applications such as occupant monitoring and environmental sensing.
In addition to in-cabin systems, SEEK Thermal showcased thermal imaging solutions designed to enhance road safety through exterior sensing. This need is particularly relevant under poor visibility conditions, such as night driving or adverse weather. To tackle this challenge, thermal sensors provide another critical layer of situational awareness, detecting pedestrians or obstacles beyond the reach of standard cameras. SEEK Thermal’s latest range emphasises functional safety and cost-effective performance.
Fritz Krainer, SVP of Engineering at Seek Thermal said:This is more than an upgrade—it's a transformative leap. Our new architecture is designed with automotive integration in mind, offering advanced imaging capability, seamless connectivity, and performance that scales.
Notably, the quality of sensor data depends heavily on optics. Dexerials Corporation is thus working to push optical innovations with its moth-eye nanofabrication technology, which creates nanostructures that reduce reflection and maximise light transmission across visible and near-infrared wavelengths. This helps reduce optical noise, enhancing the accuracy of camera and lidar sensors in various lighting conditions. Alongside these nanostructures, Dexerials’ proprietary anti-fog coatings and low-reflective black inks further improve sensor reliability and performance.
High-Speed Connectivity for Autonomous Systems
With vehicles becoming more connected and sensor-rich, high-speed data transmission and standardised sensor-to-compute pipelines are also essential.
To support this demand, Valens Semiconductor’s VA7000 MIPI A-PHY-compliant chipsets have been selected by Mobileye to support the high-speed sensor-to-compute data links in their EyeQ™6 High automated driving platforms. The MIPI A-PHY standard promises high bandwidth and low latency connectivity, critical for the demanding data needs of autonomous vehicles. This development reflects growing industry alignment on meeting global standards to scale future-ready vehicle networks.
Complementing that push, KD introduced the KD7251, the first optical transceiver compliant with the IEEE Std 802.3cz standard for multigigabit automotive Ethernet over glass optical fibre. This chip supports up to 10 Gb/s data rates, with robust EMC shielding and bridging functionality for sensors, displays, and processors. Its integration into production vehicles like ZF Group’s ProAI computer shows that fibre optics are becoming a practical solution for high-speed in-car connectivity.
Outlook
The innovations showcased at AutoSens and InCabin underline that the journey towards safer, smarter, and more inclusive vehicles is well underway, not merely through prototypes, but in tangible, deployable technologies.
From advanced in-cabin sensing to thermal imaging, high-speed connectivity, and simulation tools, suppliers are laying the technical groundwork needed to meet growing regulatory demands and user expectations at scale.
