TOKYO: Koito Manufacturing Co. has acquired the shares in Israel based BrightWay Vision Ltd. (BWV) for $24 million and included them into Koito’s scope of consolidation as a company accounted for by the equity-method. BWV is a startup company which develops and manufactures Forward Monitoring System for Advanced Driver-Assistance System (ADAS).
High-accuracy peripheral recognition sensors (such as cameras, LiDAR sensors and millimeter-wave radars) which can handle bad weather conditions are essential for ADAS and autonomous driving vehicles. In addition to developing lighting technologies that support sensing functions of these sensors, Koito is also working to develop various sensors.
As one of these strategies, Koito has decided to invest in BWV and strengthen relationship in order to promote R&D of high-precision camera systems which allows capturing images under bad weather conditions such as rain and fog.
BWV’s “Forward Monitoring System based on Gated Imaging Technology” is superior at night imaging, is less susceptible to weather conditions such as rain and fog, and capable of distance measurement even with mono cameras.
By integrating Koito’s automotive lighting technology and BWV’s camera technology, Koito will work together to conduct research on next-generation automotive lighting equipment.