Radar Sensor Technology: Driving Precision Across Automotive, Industrial and SMART City Applications

Radar's unique ability to operate effectively in low visibility conditions - whether due to darkness, fog or dust - gives it an advantage in delivering accurate, reliable and actionable data.

Radar technology has evolved far beyond its military origins and is driving innovation in various industries, such as automotive safety, industrial automation, healthcare and smart cities. dust - gives radar an advantage in delivering accurate, reliable and actionable data. The market for radar sensors is estimated to be worth around USD 10 billion in 2025 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16% to USD 20 billion by 2028¹.

The Technology That Sees What We Can't

Radar sensors emit radio waves and analyse reflections, offering unsurpassed precision in detecting and tracking objects, even under difficult conditions. By utilising high-frequency bands such as 24 and 61 GHz, these sensors are immune to environmental interference, making them indispensable for traffic management, healthcare, and beyond applications. A prime example is the V-LD1 radar sensor, a compact surface-mount device (SMD) that is an example of miniaturisation and efficiency. Its small form factor enables seamless integration into space-constrained devices such as IoT systems, wearables and drones, simplifying manufacturing processes while maintaining exceptional performance. Innovations like the IWRL6432 chipset from Texas Instruments further improve energy efficiency and expand the radar’s applications.

Applications Across Key Sectors

Automotive: Enhancing Safety in ADAS and Beyond

The Global automotive radar market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 20% through 2025, driven by advancements in Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS - technologies that use sensors, cameras, and radar to help drivers operate their vehicles safely) and autonomous vehicles².

• Safety for cyclists: The 24 GHz Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) rear bike radar detects vehicles at a distance of up to 140 meters and tracks up to eight vehicles simultaneously by measuring their speed and angle. This technology increases the safety of cyclists in the city, which is crucial when introducing sustainable mobility solutions.
• Drone navigation and airspace monitoring: The V-LD1 radar sensor provides lightweight, precise detection capabilities that enable drones to navigate obstacles and maintain flight stability. In addition, the 10 GHz X-band radar provides 360° coverage and can detect drones up to 1 km away. The radar is equipped with AI-based object classification and ensures the safety of the airspace, which is crucial for urban logistics and commercial surveillance applications.

Industrial Automation: Precision in Harsh Environments

The industrial radar market is expected to see significant growth, with industries such as manufacturing and mining increasingly relying on radar for precision and durability:

• Proximity and object detection: The 77 GHz super-resolution line sensor delivers detailed point clouds with multi-target detection in a range of 0.4 to 200 meters. Its fine resolution (10 cm) makes it indispensable for automated production lines as it detects even the smallest defects.
• Environmental Durability: The robustness of the radar ensures consistent performance in dusty, humid or temperature-fluctuating environments and reduces downtime and maintenance. This durability is critical in sectors such as automotive manufacturing and mining where environmental challenges are constant.

Smart Cities and IoT: Transforming Urban Infrastructure

Radar technology is pivotal in making urban areas safer, more efficient, and sustainable. The global smart city market is projected to grow from USD 1.1 trillion in 2025 to USD 2.3 trillion by 2035³.

• Traffic and pedestrian management: Radar solutions monitor traffic flow and pedestrian activity and enable adaptive street lighting that only switches on when movement is detected. The technology from APC Technology’s partners significantly reduces energy consumption, meeting the sustainability goals of smart cities.
• Environmental monitoring: The 61 GHz surface velocity radar measures water flow velocities of up to 6 m/s with a resolution of 0.02 m/s. This technology supports flood prevention and urban water management, and its battery-powered design makes it perfect for remote monitoring in critical environmental zones.
• Smart infrastructure: Integrated into adaptive street lighting systems, radar sensors improve energy efficiency by detecting movement and automatically adjusting lighting levels, contributing to sustainable urban development.

Healthcare: Non-Contact Monitoring for Precision Care

Radar’s healthcare applications are expanding, with the market for remote patient monitoring projected to grow at a CAGR of 18.5% through 2030⁴.

• Vital monitoring: radar sensors track heart rate and respiration without physical contact, offering exceptional comfort for patients in neonatal care, elderly care, and at-home health management.
• Hospital settings: Radar’s interference-free operation ensures uninterrupted data collection in critical care environments where traditional monitoring devices can interfere with sensitive medical equipment.
• Body-worn health monitors: The compact and efficient V-LD1 is at the heart of the next generation of wearable devices that enable continuous health monitoring without interfering with users’ daily activities.

Consumer Electronics and Security: Adding a New Dimension

The global radar sensor market for consumer applications is growing rapidly transforming everyday devices by enhancing user interaction and privacy:

• Gesture Control: Radar sensors enable touchless interfaces, letting users control smart TVs, home devices, and car systems with simple hand movements.
• Privacy-Focused Security: Unlike cameras, radar detects motion without capturing images, offering secure and private surveillance solutions for homes and offices.

Case Study: Radar Enhancing Cyclist Safety

The 24 GHz Rear Bike Radar from RFbeam Microwave exemplifies radar’s potential to improve urban safety. Detecting vehicles up to 140 meters away, this radar tracks multiple objects simultaneously and alerts cyclists of approaching traffic. In view of the increase in cycling in cities - an annual increase of 10% is expected worldwide - such innovations are crucial for promoting sustainable and safe mobility⁵.

The Road Ahead: Miniaturisation, AI, and Sustainable Applications

Radar is poised for unprecedented growth and diversification. Thanks to ongoing miniaturisation, radar sensors are becoming smaller and smaller, consume less power and are easier to integrate into devices. With AI-powered radar systems now classifying objects and accurately analysing environments, the possibilities are expanding in autonomous vehicles, robotics and beyond.

As cities and industries become more connected, the demand for sustainable, battery-powered radar solutions will also increase. From energy-saving smart city applications to low-power IoT devices, radar fits seamlessly into global sustainability goals and the future of data-driven ecosystems.

A Transformative Technology for the Modern World

Radar sensor technology is changing the industry, from automotive safety to smart city infrastructure. The global radar market is growing rapidly, and radar’s ability to deliver reliable, high-resolution data in challenging environments makes it essential to achieving modern connectivity and sustainability goals. Companies ready to explore the latest radar solutions can turn to APC Technology for cutting-edge products and expertise.

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APC's RF & Microwave Experts

Radar sensor technology is changing the industry, from automotive safety to smart city infrastructure. Radar’s ability to deliver reliable, high-resolution data in challenging environments makes it essential to achieving modern connectivity and sustainability goals.

If you are ready to explore the latest radar solutions, start a conversation with a member of our RF&Micorwave team to find out how we can offer tailored support for your projects and applications.

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Article Sources: 1 Persistance Research, 2 Market & Markets Automotive Radar Market report, 3 Smart Cities Market Size, Share And Growth Report, 4 Application of Radar to Remote Patient Monitoring and Eldercare, 5 Source Goel, R. et al. (2021) ‘Cycling behaviour in 17 countries across 6 continents: levels of cycling, who cycles, for what purpose, and how far?’, Transport Reviews, 42(1), pp. 58–81. doi: 10.1080/01441647.2021.1915898.