For more information, visit https://www.idtechex.com/en/research-report/infrared-ir-cameras-for-automotive-2025-2035-technologies-opportunities-forecasts/1029.
The infrared spectrum can be segmented into near-infrared (NIR, 0.75-1µm), short-wave infrared (SWIR, 1-2.5µm), mid-wave infrared (MWIR, 3-5µm), and long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-14µm). With the advancing of in-cabin sensing technologies, SAE autonomous driving levels, and regulations such as NHTSA’s on autonomous emergency braking (AEB), IDTechEx examines the market for NIR, SWIR, and LWIR technologies in automotive.
IDTechEx’s report: Infrared Imaging for Automotive 2025-2035 provides a detailed analysis of infrared technologies for DMS (driver monitoring systems), ADAS (advanced driver assistance systems), and autonomous driving, segmented by the regions of Europe, China, the US, Japan, and rest of the world. Forecasts of unit sales and yearly market size are presented for 2-dimensional NIR, time-of-flight (ToF), SWIR, and LWIR cameras across these regions, based on historical data, technical analysis, and primary interviews.
2D NIR and ToF Cameras
While near-infrared cameras have previously been used in night vision technologies, the primary market for near-infrared cameras and time-of-flight (ToF) cameras (which use NIR illuminators to map a 3-dimensional image) is for in-cabin sensing, specifically DMS. The strength of NIR cameras for DMS is that it is an active sensing mode that is invisible to the human eye (therefore avoiding distracting drivers), allowing accurate monitoring of the driver’s eyes, to detect signs of distraction, fatigue, and other factors that may affect road safety.
IDTechEx believes that the main driver for the adoption of NIR cameras will be regulations such as the EU General Safety Regulation, which mandates all new vehicles to have advanced driver distraction warning (ADDW) systems from mid-2024. Since this requires active monitoring of the driver’s head and eyes, it is the perfect use case for NIR technologies. As a result of this and other regional regulations, IDTechEx forecasts the NIR camera market to grow by approximately 70 times between 2020 and 2035, with NIR cameras becoming a standard DMS technology for the passenger vehicle market.
LWIR Cameras
Increased safety of road users is a key driver for increased adoption of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) technologies. These technologies use advanced sensing capabilities through various sensors, such as visible light cameras, radar, ultrasonic sensors, and LiDAR, to allow the vehicle to react autonomously to its surrounding environment. Pushed by regulatory bodies such as NHTSA, this led to over 99% of new light vehicles in the US having low-speed (40km/h) AEB. This feature brakes the vehicle without human intervention to avoid collisions with lead vehicles, pedestrians, and other obstructive situations.
NHTSA followed this up with another ruling in 2023, that by September 2029 all new vehicles in the US will have advanced AEB, pedestrian AEB (PAEB), and forward collision warning (FCW). ‘Advanced’ in this context refers to the maximum speed of travel at which vehicles must avoid a collision in testing (up to 73km/h against stationary obstacles) and their performance in low light (0.2 lux, minimum active illumination). NHTSA states that over 75% of pedestrian deaths occur in non-daylight conditions, and deems the low-light tests necessary to increase the safety for drivers, passengers, and vulnerable road users (VRUs).
This presents an opportunity for the automotive LWIR camera market. While LWIR cameras have previously been limited to optional night vision systems, primarily on high-end vehicles, their ability to detect VRUs at night or in adverse weather is superior to the existing technologies on the roads. As a passive system, it can detect the unique heat signature of a pedestrian, regardless of external light levels. In addition, advances in microbolometer and LWIR optics technologies will allow sensor fusion options, superior depth perception, and cost-down potential to make LWIR cameras an option for AEB. LWIR cameras will also likely be a mainstay in almost all vehicles with SAE autonomous driving level 4 and upwards, as well as robotaxis, due to their reliability when detecting pedestrians, and consistent performance in low-visibility conditions. While SAE level 3 is rarely on roads as of 2024, IDTechEx believes that SAE level 4 vehicles will enter the Chinese, US, and European markets at the start of the next decade.
In the long-term, the combination of AEB requirements, autonomous driving, and general safety will cement LWIR cameras as a strong sensor-fusion option in vehicles by 2035, co-existing with incumbent technologies, such as visible light cameras, radar, LiDAR, and potentially SWIR cameras.
SWIR Cameras
IDTechEx is not aware of any current market for automotive SWIR cameras, as a result of traditional SWIR cameras using InGaAs sensors which cost upwards of US$10,000, prohibitively expensive for automotive. However, IDTechEx does expect SWIR cameras to enter the automotive imaging market by 2029, as a result of innovative new technologies leveraging CMOS and colloidal quantum dot-based SWIR sensors. These sensors have the potential to cost approximately 100 times less than InGaAs sensors, opening up SWIR cameras to the mass market.
This is not without its challenges, however, as OEMs will consider alternatives to installing extra hardware, with high robustness and performance required, and potential challenges integrating SWIR cameras into ADAS. Compared to NIR, SWIR is safer for human eyes, and can detect oncoming obstacles at a similar level to LWIR cameras. By 2035, IDTechEx expects automotive SWIR cameras to remain relatively niche, requiring further cost reductions per unit, an increased number of players, and greater technology maturity to establish itself as an option for AEB and autonomous vehicles.
The infrared camera market will grow by almost 7 times between 2024 and 2035. SWIR cameras will be a niche market, while LWIR will be established and more prevalent, with a market size 9 times greater than SWIR. The NIR camera market will reach saturation by 2035 and will be approximately 7 times greater than the LWIR camera market.
Market Outlook
IDTechEx’s report, Infrared Imaging for Automotive 2025-2035 forecasts the automotive infrared camera market (including NIR, SWIR, and LWIR) to grow by 50 times from 2020-2035, and details the key drivers and developments (e.g. the EU General Safety Regulation, NHTSA, alternative IR sensor technologies, etc) for each technology that will fuel future market growth. This involves the considerations from camera suppliers, tier-one automotive suppliers, and automotive OEMs, to gain a holistic view of the automotive market landscape and its requirements.
