As global regulatory pressure mounts for automatic emergency braking (AEB) standards across cars and light trucks. Raytron, a global leader in infrared thermal imaging, has partnered with Geely-owned Zeekr. Together, they are debuting the world’s first thermal AEB within Zeekr 9X’s G-Pilot H9. This integration shifts thermal imaging from mere “perception” and “warning” to a critical component for active decision-making and intervention in intelligent vehicles.
What Is the Difference Between Traditional AEB and Thermal AEB?
Traditional AEB systems rely primarily on visible-light cameras and radar to calculate the distance to obstacles and trigger braking. Thermal AEB incorporates an infrared thermal camera to bridge the critical performance gaps of conventional sensors in challenging conditions:
lNighttime & Low Light
Traditional headlights provide approximately 100–150 meters of illumination, while Raytron’s car thermal camera can detect objects up to 300 meters away at night. This extends crucial reaction time for drivers, especially on unlit highways and rural roads.
lStrong Glare
Unlike the human eye and visible cameras, thermal imaging is immune to oncoming headlight glare, preventing momentary driver blindness and maintaining clear visibility for ADAS.
lAdverse Weather
LiDAR performance is severely degraded by heavy fog and dust due to scattering. Thermal imaging, thanks to its robust penetration capability, can see through fog and dust, ensuring reliable image quality in adverse weather.
lLiving-Being Detection
Infrared cameras sense heat signatures, making them uniquely accurate in detecting living objects. They can precisely identify pedestrians in dark clothing, cyclists, and animals (such as deer or wild boars) that may suddenly enter the roadway.
Raytron’s Horus 640D Empowers the World’s First Thermal AEB
Raytron’s Horus 640D thermal camera module has been successfully integrated into the Zeekr 9X flagship SUV to provide all-weather perception for its AEB system. The module integrates Raytron’s proprietary uncooled infrared detector, the next-generation Falcon series infrared image processing chip, and industry-leading image processing algorithms. This integration delivers significant advantages in reliability, cost, performance, form factor, and power consumption. Its compact size (32.5×60.5×43mm) allows for flexible mounting within restricted vehicle spaces, such as the grille, ensuring seamless integration without compromising aesthetic design—critical for OEM mass production. Equipped with an optimized shutterless algorithm, the thermal imaging system guarantees continuous, clear, and freeze-frame-free high-quality image output, even during high-speed or complex driving scenarios. To date, Raytron’s automotive thermal modules have powered over 20 vehicle models through partnerships with 15 automotive manufacturers, covering from passenger cars to commercial vehicles and from assisted driving to autonomous vehicles.
About Raytron
Raytron is a global pioneer in infrared thermal imaging technology. We released the world’s first 6μm and 8μm uncooled infrared detectors in 2021 and 2024, respectively, with the 8μm infrared detector already entering mass production. Raytron employs over 3,000 staff, with R&D personnel comprising 48% of the workforce, and holds over 1,200 authorized and pending intellectual property rights. Our products are widely used in autonomous driving, machine vision, public safety, and smart industrial fields, dedicated to creating incremental value for customers with technological advancements.
