June 2, 2021—A shortcoming of advanced driver-assistance systems is that they need to be able to detect, or "see" other vehicles, objects, and lane lines to react. What about letting them "hear"?

Infineon Technologies and Reality AI have created a microphone, the Xensiv MEMS, "an advanced sensing solution [that gives] vehicles the sense of hearing," reports Robotics & Automation News.

The microphone can be integrated with existing sensor systems.

"Using machine learning-based algorithms, the system is able to detect emergency vehicles, cars, and other road participants—even if they cannot be seen by drivers or detected by the sensors incorporated in the vehicles' ADAS," the story says.