LG Innotek said on Tuesday that it has developed a camera module that integrates a heater so that it can defrost the lens to keep it functioning during the cold.
The South Korean parts maker said the module was aimed at autonomous vehicles and it is hoping to start production in 2027.
During the cold season, frost and snow can accumulate on the camera lens, which will obstruct its ability to detect objects in its surroundings.
The use of such heating cameras by carmakers is on the rise as they allow the camera to continue to collect clear images in cold weather.
The heater on LG Innotek’s module directly heats the bottom side of the lens to get rid of frost and snow.
This was a direct heating method, the company explained, unlike the indirect heating method used in existing modules that heats the whole camera, the company said.
LG Innotek used positive temperature coefficient materials so that the heater can be on the bottom side of the lens which is best for defrosting snow and frost, the company said. Heating the lens also won’t damage the lens itself, it also said.
LG Innotek’s module uses only up to 4W of power and can quickly defrost the lens __ during testing, at minus 18 Celsius, a frozen lens returned to normal function at ambient temperature within four minutes after the heater went live, the company said. This was much faster than the eight minutes it takes for currently commercialized products, LG Innotek added.
