Corporate news

First Sensor starts series production of the "Blue Next" camera range

- First model for international tier-1 supplier of driver assistance systems

- Important element in the introduction of partially and fully autonomous driving

First Sensor AG, a developer and manufacturer of standard products and customer-specific solutions on the growth market of sensor technology, is taking the next step towards volume production of cameras for driver assistance systems and adding the "Blue Next" industrialized camera generation to its product range. "Cameras are an important element in the introduction of partially and fully autonomous driving. In conjunction with LiDAR systems and radar sensors, they keep an eye on a vehicle's surroundings and help deliver greater safety and comfort", says Dr. Dirk Rothweiler, CEO of First Sensor AG. "Putting the new 'Blue Next' camera range into series production allows us to position ourselves as an affordable provider in this future-oriented field and lay the foundation for further growth in the target market of mobility."

The cameras are being developed and produced at First Sensor Mobility GmbH in Dresden in line with the quality management system for the automotive industry. Volume production of the first "Blue Next" camera solution started here for an international tier-1 supplier of driver assistance systems at the beginning of this year. The supply agreement initially covers the period up to 2022. "We have started delivering the first cameras to our customers, and expect an enquiry of 10-20,000 systems for converting motor homes and minibuses by 2019 alone," explains Wilhelm Prinz von Hessen, Vice President of Mobility at First Sensor AG. "At present, we are seeing a sharp rise in demand for driver assistance products for commercial and special vehicles." The cameras, equipped with the high-speed interface APIX for point-to-point connectivity in vehicles, replace traditional rear-view mirrors and help to prevent accidents caused by the blind spot. Being more aerodynamic, they also contribute to lower consumption costs.

Volume production of the second "Blue Next" model for a further customer is scheduled to start in summer 2018. The industrialized camera generation supplements batch production of the predecessor "Blue Eagle" model and the analog "Red Hawk" series. Its features include a large selection of digital interfaces for simple and flexible integration into vehicle electrical systems and driver assistance systems. The digital HDR-CMOS cameras come with a connector that ensures fast and straightforward connection. Its robust housings can cope with the toughest environments and allow use in commercial vehicles and construction machinery, for instance. Models in the "Blue Next" camera range can also be used in First Sensor's Embedded Area View application, and support innovative driver assistance systems in this way. Six to eight cameras can be integrated into the system. The Area View application uses them to provide real-time images both from a bird's-eye view and from any angle in a 360 all-round view. The hardware and software application architecture meets requirements for embedded systems, e.g. with regard to real-time capability and security.

About First Sensor AG
In the growth market of sensor systems, First Sensor develops and produces standard products and customer-specific solutions for the ever-increasing number of applications in the industrial, medical, and mobility target markets. Based on innovative technology platforms, we develop products such as chips, components, sensors, and entire sensor systems. Trends such as Industry 4.0, autonomous driving, and the miniaturization of medical technology will drive our growth extremely rapidly in the future. First Sensor was founded in Berlin in 1991 and has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (SIS) since 1999 [Prime Standard Ι WKN: 720190 Ι ISIN: DE0007201907 Ι SIS]. For more details on First Sensor, please visit www.first-sensor.com.

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Statements in this Corporate News relating to future developments are based on a prudent estimate of future events. Actual events may deviate from planned events, as they depend on a large number of market and economic factors, some of which are outside of the company's control.

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