As new safety rules push driver monitoring from a premium feature to a regulatory requirement, LG Innotek has detailed specifications for an under-display camera designed to make in-cabin monitoring both invisible and reliable.
LG Innotek said Thursday that it has developed a next-generation under-display camera module for driver monitoring systems, or DMS, and will present the product at CES 2026 in Las Vegas in January. While the technology was briefly previewed earlier this month as part of the company’s CES exhibition lineup, this marks the first time the company has disclosed its performance, development background and commercial positioning.
The module is installed behind a vehicle’s instrument cluster display and continuously monitors the driver’s condition, including eye movement, facial expression and posture. DMS is becoming a standard safety feature as vehicles move toward higher levels of automation. The European Union is set to mandate DMS installation in new vehicles from 2026, and similar requirements are being reviewed in the US, China and Japan, according to LG Innotek.
Automakers have shown growing interest in under-display cameras because conventional DMS cameras are visibly mounted on dashboards or steering columns, which can detract from interior design. However, placing a camera behind a display panel has historically caused significant image degradation.
LG Innotek said it addressed this challenge through joint development with LG Display that began in 2024. The company applied proprietary artificial intelligence software that restores images degraded by the display. The module delivers image quality that LG Innotek says is more than 99 percent as clear as without a display panel.
The company said future versions could extend beyond driver monitoring to recognize passengers and support personalized functions such as seat positioning and cabin temperature control.
The product is part of LG Innotek’s broader push into automotive sensing solutions, spanning in-cabin cameras, LiDAR and radar. CEO Moon Hyuk-soo has said the company aims to grow annual revenue from vehicle sensing solutions to 2 trillion won ($1.35 billion) by 2030.
mjh@heraldcorp.com
