News Releases

Hitachi Automotive Systems stereo camera with night time pedestrian detection function adopted by Suzuki's CARRY, a first for a light pickup truck

Tokyo, September 12, 2019 --- Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. today announced that its stereo camera, which enables the detection of pedestrians at night, has been adopted by Suzuki Motor Corporation for its CARRY light pickup truck. The vehicle features updated specifications to enhance safety, with sales beginning this month. CARRY is the first*1 light pickup truck with a stereo camera that can detect pedestrians at night.

With Japan's rapidly aging population, many users of light pickup trucks such as farmers are now elderly. As a result, there is growing interest*2 in vehicles equipped with advanced safety technologies, such as pedestrian detection and protection systems, as well as collision avoidance braking systems. Hitachi Automotive Systems is helping to meet these needs through the development and supply of its stereo camera with night time pedestrian detection functionality.

With the partial specification change, the CARRY is now equipped with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) functionality, such as lane departure warnings, lane sway warnings and lead vehicle start alerts. Additionally, the model is equipped with the function to detect pedestrians at night, supporting collision avoidance braking, the same function that has been adopted by Suzuki for its SOLIO, SOLIO BANDIT, EVERY and EVERY WAGON models. The function utilizes Hitachi's unique machine learning technology, where large numbers of images are input as training data into the stereo camera, making it possible to detect pedestrians at night with a level of precision previously impossible.

The new CARRY has been certified as Support Car (Safety Support Car) S Wide*3 by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), a designation the Ministries are supporting to become widely used. Hitachi Automotive Systems will continue to support the increased adoption of Safety Driving Support Cars with advanced ADAS technology, contributing to a society with fewer traffic accidents, including accidents involving pedestrians and bicycles by elderly drivers.

*1

Light pickup truck class. Data is as of September 2019 Source: Suzuki Motor Corporation

*2

Source: Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA)'s 2018 Small Light Truck Market Trend Survey

*3

Vehicles with a certain driver support function including advanced safety technologies such as damage reduction (automatic) brakes (Safety Driving Support Car: Support Car for short). One of the categories, "Support Car S" are recommended for elderly drivers especially by mounting the acceleration suppression device, etc. when accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal. The "Support Car S Wide" is a car equipped with the damage reduction (automatic) brakes (versus pedestrians), pedal acceleration suppression device while accidentally pressing the accelerator pedal instead of the brake pedal, lane departure warning and advanced light.

About Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd.

Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The company is engaged in the development, manufacture, sales and services of automotive components, transportation related components, industrial machines and systems, and offers a wide range of automotive systems including Powertrain Systems, Chassis Systems and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems. For more information, please visit the company's website at http://www.hitachi-automotive.co.jp/en/.