Aptiv Launches Gen 8 Radars to Redefine the Future of ADAS and Automated Mobility
Aptiv PLC (NYSE: APTV), a global technology leader advancing safer, greener, and more connected mobility, has unveiled its most advanced radar platform to date—the Gen 8 radar family, designed to meet the evolving demands of next-generation advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). Built on Aptiv’s proprietary antenna and silicon architecture, the new radar suite delivers exceptional performance, higher resolution, and robust sensing capabilities to support artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML)-driven driving functions.
The Gen 8 radars represent a transformative step in perception technology, enabling automakers to deliver hands-free and semi-autonomous driving features even in the most complex urban and highway environments. By offering enhanced detection, broader coverage, and superior cost efficiency, Aptiv’s new radar family strengthens its position as a key enabler of the intelligent, software-defined vehicle era.
Both front-facing and corner radar units have been reengineered to interpret real-world driving scenarios with greater precision and reliability, ensuring consistent performance across diverse weather, traffic, and lighting conditions.
Extending Sensor Innovation: Introducing the Aptiv PULSE Sensor
Aptiv’s latest radar innovations are not limited to its Gen 8 lineup. The same core intellectual property that powers these new radars also forms the foundation of the Aptiv PULSE Sensor, a groundbreaking perception solution that fuses radar and camera inputs to create an all-encompassing view around the vehicle.
This compact and highly adaptable system integrates ultra short-range radar technology with a surround-view camera, enabling it to replace up to four traditional ultrasonic sensors. The result is a simplified, more efficient sensing architecture that improves detection accuracy, reduces system complexity, and lowers costs for automakers.
Beyond automotive use, the PULSE Sensor’s precision and versatility open up new application possibilities in industrial robotics, drones, and automated logistics, where high-fidelity short-range sensing is essential.
Aptiv pioneered the introduction of radar in production vehicles more than two decades ago, and today, we’re once again setting the pace,” said Javed Khan, Executive Vice President and President of Software, Advanced Safety, and User Experience at Aptiv. “Our Gen 8 Radars mark a major step forward in the journey toward intelligent, software-defined vehicles—delivering all-weather reliability, 4D perception, and deep environmental awareness that enable global automakers to safely and cost-effectively scale to higher levels of automation.”
Building on 25 Years of Radar Expertise
With over a quarter century of radar innovation, Aptiv continues to expand its perception technology portfolio—combining proprietary software algorithms with advanced hardware IP to elevate radar performance across a broad spectrum of driving environments.
The Gen 8 platform introduces new benchmarks in detection range, angular resolution, and real-time perception. Whether navigating crowded city streets, parking structures, or high-speed highways, the system delivers the spatial awareness necessary for features such as Navigation on Autopilot (NOA) and adaptive cruise control.
By fusing higher channel density and enhanced angular discrimination, Aptiv’s Gen 8 radars allow vehicles to see farther, interpret more precisely, and react faster—forming a cornerstone for higher levels of automated driving.
Key Highlights of Aptiv’s Gen 8 Radar Family
1. Forward Radar: Long-Range Precision for Safer Highways
The forward-facing Gen 8 radar provides detection beyond 300 meters, offering ultra-fine 4D angular resolution to accurately classify over- and under-drivable static objects. With a 30% performance improvement and double the vertical field of view (FOV) of its predecessor, it enables more robust perception at highway speeds. This expanded capability supports functions such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control, and lane-centering assistance—even in adverse weather conditions.
2. Dual-Mode Corner Radar: Versatility for Urban and Low-Speed Maneuvers
The corner radar enhances Aptiv’s already industry-leading range by significantly increasing vertical FOV resolution, offering improved perception in close-range and low-speed scenarios. These enhancements benefit operations such as automated parking, frontal collision avoidance, and object detection in confined environments. Compared to earlier generations, horizontal discrimination improved by 25%, and vertical discrimination is now achievable—representing a major step forward in environmental modeling and safety assurance.
Engineered for Real-World Performance
Every aspect of the Gen 8 radar family has been optimized for reliability, scalability, and real-world adaptability. The systems are designed to ensure consistent, high-quality perception across varying conditions—from bright sunlight and heavy rain to dense traffic and reflective surfaces.
Step-Change in Detection Capability
Gen 8 radars deliver a significant increase in object detection count and sensor fidelity, enabling the identification of a broader array of targets—from small roadside debris to distant vehicles—with richer, real-time feedback.
Expanded Channel Architecture
The new platform doubles the channel count compared to previous generations, boosting signal sensitivity, target recognition, and resolution. This scalable design allows automakers to flexibly integrate premium radar performance without major hardware redesigns.
4D Perception for Smarter Automation
Aptiv’s proprietary 4D angular resolution technology enables the radar to distinguish between over- and under-drivable surfaces, allowing radar-only classification of static objects. This advancement supports high-accuracy, radar-exclusive detection that enhances automated driving features such as adaptive cruise control and lane management.
Superior Accuracy in Target Tracking
With advanced discrimination capabilities and a low error rate in low-SNR environments, Gen 8 radars excel at identifying and tracking targets previously missed by conventional sensors. The result is smoother vehicle control, fewer false positives, and improved decision-making reliability.
Wider and More Detailed Field of View
The expanded channel count provides exceptional measurement precision across both vertical and horizontal axes, delivering broader situational awareness and finer environmental mapping. This supports complex driving scenarios where spatial context is critical, such as merging, lane changes, and obstacle avoidance.
Real-Time Drivable Space Estimation
Through high-resolution mapping, the radar can estimate open drivable space, detect debris, and identify lane boundaries at highway speeds—significantly enhancing safety and driver confidence.
AI-Enhanced Sensor Fusion
Gen 8 radars continuously feed high-quality data streams to AI and machine learning models, enabling adaptive, real-time decision-making. This data-driven capability underpins next-generation ADAS and autonomous systems, supporting everything from collision avoidance to predictive path planning.
Enabling the Software-Defined Future of Mobility
The launch of the Gen 8 radar platform underscores Aptiv’s vision of a software-defined, connected mobility ecosystem, where vehicles evolve continuously through data, learning, and integration. By delivering reliable perception hardware that works seamlessly with AI-based software, Aptiv provides automakers with the scalability and cost-efficiency required to accelerate the rollout of higher-level automation features worldwide.
Beyond passenger vehicles, Aptiv’s radar and sensor technologies have the potential to extend into commercial transportation, robotics, smart infrastructure, and industrial automation, enabling safer and more efficient operation across industries.
As vehicles transition toward full automation, the ability to sense, interpret, and respond in real time becomes paramount,” added Khan. “Our latest radar generation was built to deliver that intelligence—bridging today’s ADAS systems with tomorrow’s autonomous mobility solutions.”
A Vision for Safer, Smarter, and Greener Mobility
Aptiv’s Gen 8 radar platform and PULSE Sensor represent more than just hardware innovation—they are enablers of a broader transformation in how mobility systems perceive and respond to their surroundings. By combining AI-powered software, advanced signal processing, and robust, scalable hardware, Aptiv is empowering automakers to build vehicles that think, adapt, and learn like never before.
With this launch, Aptiv continues to lead the charge in defining the future of intelligent transportation—one where radar, camera, and AI technologies converge to make driving safer, cleaner, and more connected for everyone.
