Shift to Radar/mmWave VRU Sensing Elevates Chipmakers; Texas Instruments Well Positioned

Industry shift elevates chipmakers’ role

Semiconductor suppliers are taking a central role as vehicle and city planners increasingly adopt radar- and millimetre-wave (mmWave) radio-frequency (RF) systems to detect Vulnerable Road Users (VRUs). The move follows demonstrations showing RF platforms outperform cameras in low light and adverse weather, creating new demand for the analog, RF front-end and processing chips that companies such as Texas Instruments (TI) provide.

Texas Instruments' components power radar-based VRU adoption

Texas Instruments is positioned to benefit as RF VRU sensing moves from optional enhancement to a core safety layer, since its portfolio includes analog front ends, power-management devices, and processors used in automotive radar and sensor-fusion stacks. Automakers integrating radar-heavy safety architectures rely on suppliers that can deliver ruggedized mixed-signal components and scalable processing for real-time object detection and classification. TI’s long-standing automotive credentials and production capacity align with increasing original equipment manufacturer (OEM) requirements for reliability, temperature range and functional safety.

The shift to RF-centric VRU systems also amplifies demand for system-level integration and software support, areas where semiconductor suppliers expand offerings beyond discrete chips. Real-world deployments require close collaboration among silicon vendors, radar module makers and Tier 1 integrators to optimise latency, electromagnetic compatibility and power budgets in commercial vehicles and roadside units. As municipalities invest in intersection and crosswalk sensing, TI’s broad product set for industrial and automotive markets gives it multiple routes into both in-vehicle and infrastructure applications.

Live demonstration underscores real-world utility

A recent live demonstration in Italy by VisionWave Holdings using the SaverOne RF-based VRU platform before a major global commercial vehicle maker provides practical validation of RF detection and alerting in visually challenged conditions. Video evidence accompanying the demo shows detection of pedestrians and cyclists in complex urban scenes, reinforcing arguments by proponents that RF sensors add robustness where vision systems struggle.

Market outlook and competitive landscape

Analysts estimate the global VRU detection market at about $2.1 billion in 2024, projecting near 14% compound annual growth to exceed $6 billion by 2033, driven by stricter pedestrian and cyclist safety rules, denser urbanisation and recurring upgrade cycles. Key companies in the space include VisionWave, Arbe Robotics, Texas Instruments, NXP Semiconductors and Analog Devices, reflecting demand across automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and smart-city infrastructure planners.