Embedded C for Processing Radar in Self-Driving Car

Photo by Alexander Andrews on Unsplash

Radar is one of the key sensors used in self-driving cars to detect and understand the environment around the car. Radar works by emitting radio waves and detecting the reflected signals that bounce back from objects in the environment. By measuring the time it takes for the signals to return and the strength of the reflection, radar can be used to determine the distance, speed, and direction of objects in the environment.

In a self-driving car, radar sensors can be used to detect other vehicles, pedestrians, road signs, and other objects on the road. This information is fed into the car’s onboard computer system, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to interpret the data and make decisions about how the car should behave. For example, if the radar sensors detect a pedestrian crossing the road in front of the car, the AI might direct the car to slow down or stop to avoid a collision.

Overall, radar is an essential component of self-driving car technology, helping the car to understand and navigate its environment safely and efficiently.

Now let’s get into Coding with Embedded C to process some Radar Information.

#include <stdio.h>
#include "radar.h"

#define MAX_OBJECTS 10

struct Object {
  float distance;
  float speed;
  float direction;
};

int main() {
  struct Object objects[MAX_OBJECTS];
  int num_objects = 0;

  // Initialize the radar sensor
  radar_init();

  while (1) {
    // Get the latest radar data
    num_objects = radar_get_objects(objects, MAX_OBJECTS);

    // Print the distance, speed, and direction of each detected object
    for (int i = 0; i < num_objects; i++) {
      printf("Object %d: distance=%.2f, speed=%.2f, direction=%.2f\n",
             i+1, objects[i].distance, objects[i].speed, objects[i].direction);
    }

    // Sleep for a short period before getting the next set of radar data
    usleep(100000);
  }

  return 0;
}

This code uses functions from the “radar.h” header file to initialize the radar sensor and retrieve the latest data. The radar data is stored in an array of “Object” structures, which contain fields for the distance, speed, and direction of each detected object. The code then prints this information to the console. The loop at the end of the code causes the program to…