A Technology Partner Designing and Realizing Radar Performance Targets

< HJWAVE 3D Waveguide Antenna Production Line >

As “safety” emerges as the most critical value in the automotive, sensor technologies integrated into vehicles are evolving at a rapid pace. Advanced safety functions such as Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA), Blind Spot Detection (BSD), and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA) are no longer optional features but are increasingly regarded as standard equipment. Consequently, the number of sensors installed in a single vehicle continues to rise steadily.

Stricter vehicle safety regulations worldwide, along with changing consumer awareness, are further accelerating this trend. Automotive safety is no longer merely a domain of technological competition—it has become a fundamental requirement that both OEMs and suppliers must fulfill.

Amid these changes, radar has become a core sensor technology in vehicle safety systems. Unlike cameras or LiDAR, radar offers relatively stable detection performance in adverse weather conditions and low-light environments, delivering high reliability in real-world driving scenarios. As a result, radar applications are expanding beyond forward collision prevention to include rear, side, and blind spot detection, covering the entire vehicle.

Accordingly, the number of radar units installed per vehicle is increasing. This is not a temporary fluctuation driven by technology trends, but rather a structural shift embedded in the long-term advancement of vehicle safety.

However, radar performance is not determined solely by signal processing algorithms or semiconductor chips. In many cases, the ability to accurately and reliably perceive the surrounding environment depends fundamentally on antenna performance. Even when using the same radar module, variations in antenna design and implementation can significantly impact detection range, resolution, angular accuracy, and overall reliability. In essence, the antenna defines the starting point and ultimate performance ceiling of a radar system.

< HJWAVE CEO, TaeHwan YOO >

It is from this perspective that HJWAVE was founded. The company does not manufacture radar systems itself; rather, it has grown as a technology-driven enterprise specializing in millimeter-wave RF antennas that fundamentally determine automotive radar performance. If radar serves as the “eyes” of vehicle safety, HJWAVE designs the standards that define the resolution and reliability of those eyes.

HJWAVE’s flagship technology is a 3D waveguide-based radar antenna engineered to deliver stable performance in the 77GHz and 79GHz millimeter-wave bands. In high-frequency domains, even minute structural differences can result in significant performance deviations. Therefore, antenna design requires a deep understanding of RF theory combined with an integrated approach to manufacturing processes. HJWAVE continues to advance antenna architectures that satisfy wide bandwidth and wide field-of-view requirements while remaining adaptable to diverse vehicle installation environments.

As vehicle safety systems become more sophisticated, the demands placed on antennas grow increasingly stringent. Desired beam patterns must be realized within limited physical space, while ensuring consistent and repeatable performance in mass production. Through design methodologies that minimize high-frequency losses while securing structural stability and repeatability, HJWAVE meets the rigorous quality standards required by automotive OEMs and Tier-1 suppliers.

This positions the company not merely as a component supplier, but as a technology partner that collaborates in defining and achieving radar performance targets.

HJWAVE’s long-standing focus on antenna technology has naturally expanded into another critical domain: performance verification and quality control.

While antennas are central to radar performance, objectively evaluating and maintaining that performance consistently in mass production is far from simple. To address this practical challenge, HJWAVE has extended its business into radar measurement and inspection systems, particularly End-of-Line (EOL) inspection equipment used in production environments.

HJWAVE’s EOL inspection systems go beyond verifying basic radar functionality. They are designed to quantitatively measure and validate the overall performance of the radar system—including the antenna—to ensure reliability. As the number of radar units per vehicle increases, confirming that each unit meets uniform performance standards becomes essential. Consequently, radar inspection and measurement technologies are increasingly recognized as an invisible yet foundational pillar supporting vehicle safety.

This technological approach has earned meaningful recognition across both industry and public sectors. HJWAVE received a Minister’s Award at Korea’s Radio Broadcasting Technology Awards and was also honored with a Minister’s Award at the Korea Invention Patent Exhibition, validating its technological excellence. The company has further strengthened its position as an independent technology leader in the millimeter-wave RF and antenna field by being selected as an innovative technology company at major domestic electronics and IT exhibitions.

In overseas markets, this competitiveness has become increasingly tangible. HJWAVE is expanding its global presence by supplying products to customers in India and Japan, among other regions. International partners evaluate HJWAVE not simply as a parts supplier, but as a trusted technology partner. The company’s cumulative investment achievements further support its technology-driven growth potential.

Beyond R&D, HJWAVE has been steadily strengthening its manufacturing capabilities by accumulating hands-on experience in mass-producing automotive safety components.

In 2024, HJWAVE secured a vehicle safety component production project and participated in the manufacturing of various automotive safety-related components, including MGH, TOS, TAS, MAS, and ECU systems. Through this project, the company gained direct experience with the practical requirements of automotive mass production—such as rigorous quality standards, process stability, and on-time delivery performance—thereby strengthening its capability to translate advanced technology into scalable, production-ready products.

This production experience serves as a valuable asset in translating HJWAVE’s core antenna and RF technologies into real-world products. The process expertise and quality management know-how accumulated in automotive safety component manufacturing will provide tangible competitive advantages as the company expands its own antenna and RF solutions into full-scale mass production.

HJWAVE is evolving beyond a company that can simply “develop advanced technology.” It is becoming a company capable of “reliably manufacturing” technology that meets the demanding standards of the automotive industry.

Looking ahead, HJWAVE defines its future direction as a “Physical AI-based RF company.” As intelligent systems operating in physical environments—such as vehicles—continue to proliferate, the importance of RF and antenna technologies that connect these systems to the real world will only grow. This vision goes beyond transmitting electromagnetic waves; it expands the role of RF into a technology that enables machines to understand and interpret the physical world.

As societal demands for vehicle safety intensify—and as the number of radar units per vehicle continues to rise—the importance of antennas at the very starting point of radar performance will only become greater.

HJWAVE is not a company that manufactures radar systems. It is an antenna technology company that designs the standards of radar performance. Furthermore, as a technology infrastructure provider that verifies and enhances those standards, HJWAVE is building the invisible core of the automotive industry—while steadily preparing for the next phase as a specialized RF company in the era of Physical AI.