Sony Corporation has announced the release of the IMX324, a new 1/1.7-type stacked CMOS image sensor equipped with the industry's highest resolution 7.42 effective megapixel RCCC filter for forward-sensing cameras in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Sony will begin shipping samples in November 2017. This image sensor is capable of approximately three times the horizontal resolution of conventional products, which enables high-definition image capture of distant road signs approximately 160m ahead of the camera.

The sensor is equipped with a pixel binning mode for further raising the sensitivity in low-light environments, achieving the high sensitivity of 2666mV, making it possible to capture images of pedestrians and obstacles even in dark night-time situations that are equivalent to the brightness of moonlight. The sensor is equipped with a function that alternately captures dark sections at high-sensitivity settings and bright sections at high resolution, enabling high-precision image recognition when combined with the signal processing of the latter stage.

This is the first time in the industry where a stacked configuration has been employed on an automotive grade sensor. This arranges the pixel array and signal processing circuit in layers to allow for a compact size and low power consumption while still delivering high resolution. This image sensor is expected to be compatible with the EyeQ4 and EyeQ5 image processors currently being developed by Mobileye, an Intel Company headquartered in Israel, for use in ADAS and autonomous vehicle technology.