Hella partners US start-up to develop high-performance radar software for ADAS and AVs

Lighting and electronics major Hella and the US start-up Oculii today announced a strategic partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to develop high-performance, scalable radar solutions that meet the requirements for both assisted and automated driving. In the context of the development partnership, the two companies will combine their complementary know-how and respective technological expertise. The cooperation also includes a strategic investment in Oculii, which was made by the Silicon Valley-based venture capital arm Hella Ventures.  

As one of the world's leading suppliers of automotive radar sensor technology, HELLA will contribute in particular its considerable expertise and year-long experience in the development and industrialisation of radar sensors to the cooperation. The Virtual Aperture Imaging Software developed by Oculii will further enhance the performance of radar sensors by cost-effectively increasing accuracy, range and information quality. The partnership will focus on integrating Oculii's software technology into HELLA's 77 GHz radar platform. Results of the development partnership are expected to go into series production in 2023. 

“Due to its strong market position, Hella is an ideal strategic partner for us. On the one hand, this will enable us to successfully bring our software technology in the automotive sector onto the road. On the other hand, together with Hella, we will be able to raise the radar sensor technology of tomorrow to a whole new level,” says Dr. Steven Hong, CEO of Oculii. “As we combine the specific know-how of Hella and Oculii, we will jointly be able to offer customers high-performance radar solutions that will enable us to meet the requirements for all development stages of autonomous driving.”

Frank Petznick, who as a member of the Electronics Executive Board at Hella is responsible for the global Product Center Automated Driving, adds: “We have more than 17 years of experience in radar technology and have already produced over 30 million radar sensors. We want to continuously expand this position. For example, our latest radar technology based on 77 GHz will be launched on the market in only a few months. By collaborating with Oculii, we will further enhance the performance of our radar product family and thus provide sustainable support for basic driver assistance functions and the trend towards automated driving.”