Sony 33-Sensor Concept Car

NikkeiAsia: "I believe the next megatrend [after mobile phones] will be mobility," said Sony Chairman and President Kenichiro Yoshida as he unveiled the Vision-S concept car at the CES tech show in the U.S. in January.

The Vision-S will have 33 sensors, including image sensors, a Sony specialty. Izumi Kawanishi, Sony's SVP who is shepherding development of the car, said the sensors "give passengers and pedestrians a sense of security thanks to the 360-degree vision it provides."

NikkeiAsia says that Sony controls about 70% of the global market for the image sensors used in smartphone cameras, but its share for automotive image sensors is only 9%. The Vision-S is an exploratory effort by the company as it taps into a market led by ON Semi. According to NikkeiAsia, ON Semi has been producing automotive image sensors for over 50 years (since 1970?) and controls 45% of the market.